True Love
by Twin-Lupus
Summary: What starts out as normal days for the team may unfold into days that will change their lives. Will they realize it in time? [RxS, RxBB] First story, please review! [FG]
1. Arguments

Author's Note: OK, a fair warning to all. This is my first fanfiction. I have been reviewing many people's stories for a long time, and I'm finally trying my hand at one of my own!! So yeah, please review and be kind! I am all for constructive criticism, so go ahead and give some, but if you don't insult me in a nice way, I'm not listening!!! Hehehe, does that make any sense at all? Oh well, just review and I'll deal with the rest! Please, I'll love you forever if you do! Ahem, anyway, on with my fiction!

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Chapter 1: Arguments A small, five-year-old boy ran along the shoreline. He stopped abruptly to stare in awe across the bay at the large, T-shaped building floating in the middle. His parents caught up to him, his mother pushing a stroller containing the boy's younger sister. "So that's where they live?" he asked, under his breath, as if afraid to break the trance the impressive building caused.

His father chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. "Yes, that's the place. I don't know if you're aware of it, but you're an extremely lucky boy. You live in a city protected by the best. They're a highly trained, well- organized team. Our city can rest easily knowing they're out there, watching over us."

The family continued to gaze out across the water, the waves lapping at the beach. (Although, the toddler was only wondering why the heck they had stopped, and, as with all two-year-olds, became very bored within four seconds, and began to squirm.) The mother began to push the stroller again, and the father placed his hand protectively over the top awning. The little boy waited a few extra seconds, before scurrying to catch up with his parents.

Unbeknownst to the happy family, the "highly trained, well-organized" team was currently in the middle of an all-out war. Though it was still early, all the Titans were up, milling about the tower. At least, they were, until it came time for them to eat.

"I'm not going out at 7:30 in the morning for groceries! You should have gone yesterday! It's not my job this week!" the largest member of the team yelled. Cyborg was standing near the fridge, its door wide open to reveal its contents, which, much to the dismay of the teen, were nothing.

"It's not my fault! How was I supposed to know we were so low on food?" Beast Boy snapped back. His fang was even more apparent as he sneered up at his large friend.

Cyborg ground his teeth together, but instead of continuing his verbal sparring with his green friend, he turned on the unsuspecting girl behind him. "Yo Raven, wanna go to the store for me?"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"You convince her!" he cried, throwing his arms over his head, whirling back around. Beast Boy recoiled slightly in surprise. He flushed, but soon regained his ground.

"It's not her job to go! If it's bothering you that much, I'll go!"

Cyborg snorted. "You think I'd let you go? You'd come back with nothing but tofu!"

"Wait... didn't you just say... it was my...?" Beast Boy faltered, confused. But it took too much brain capacity from that point on so he let it go, and moved on to Cyborg's last comment. "...And your point?"

"I'm not choking down one more crumb of it!" Cyborg exploded. "It's disgusting! Get over it!"

"Tofu is not 'disgusting!' It's healthy, and not meat!" Beast Boy retorted.

"Exactly!"

At that moment, the leader of the quarreling teens walked into the kitchen area. He took one look at the bickering friends and immediately switched into his diffusing mode. He held up his gloved hands, as if hoping to deflect the insults that might suddenly fly his way. "Um... guys? What happened?"

"What happened? We ran out of food, that's what happened!" cried Cyborg.

"OK... so the logical thing to do would be to go out and buy food." Robin said, trying to remain calm.

"But it's 7:30 in the morning! I'm not going out this early, and no way is Beast Boy going to buy anything edible!" Cyborg protested.

"Well, then what do you suggest we do?"

Cyborg shrugged. "I don't know, anything. I'm starving to death." Raven rolled her eyes behind her thick book. However, there was no way she was going to let herself get roped into shopping this early, so remained silent.

At that moment, Starfire floated sleepily into the main area. Her hair was in disarray, and her eyes were merely slits, trying to block out the sun. However, at the sight of a certain Boy Wonder, she squeaked, and quickly began ripping her fingers through her tousled hair, attempting to tame the wild locks.

Robin turned to see her battling a particularly stubborn knot. "Uh... are you alright?"

She looked up quickly, dropping the clump of hair she'd been struggling with. "Yes! Yes, I am fine. How are you this glorious morning?" she said, grinning widely. However, her attempt fix the knot had caused the hair to frizz, so it was currently standing out in a large lump, making her look very disheveled. Robin didn't seem to notice, since all he did was give a dazed smile.

Raven held back a snort of laughter. It was so obvious, even Beast Boy had said something just the other day.

Flashback

Beast Boy, soda in hand, walked behind the couch where Cyborg was perched. His face was screwed up in concentration, so he paid no mind to the green boy who just entered the room. Raven was scribbling furiously in her notebook, having just thought of a really good line to add to her dark poetry. Robin was reviewing some police files in the kitchen area when Starfire had walked in.

"I require assistance, friends. The lamp in my room has since ceased to function... and I have no idea how to repair it." said Starfire, quite cheerfully. Raven didn't even blink. Cyborg grunted as his animated figure took a hit. Beast Boy looked up, about to respond, when Robin jumped in.

"I'll help you, Star."

She cocked her head slightly. "Are you sure? You seem to be in the middle of something, and I do not wish to interrupt--"

"No problem," he cut her off. "This stuff can wait." He stood up quickly, knocking a sheet of paper to floor with a mug shot of a tattooed guy wearing a scowl. The snarling face stared up at Raven, and she looked up, surprised that someone could twist his mouth in such a disgusting way and capture it perfectly on camera.

"Oh, thank you Robin! I shall no longer be trapped in a world of darkness that should be my brightly lit room!" Starfire floated a few feet of the ground. She beamed at the Boy Wonder, and he felt a grin creep across his features. Starfire grabbed his arm and dragged him off-- not that he needed much encouragement. He allowed himself to be pulled along the hall, down to Starfire's room to change the light bulb, a feat that still went over her head.

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. He turned to his companions, Raven having resumed writing in her book of poetry, and Cyborg hadn't even blinked. "Umm... what just happened?"

Raven glanced up at Robin's retreating back. "I think we should send a chaperone in there too," she said slyly with a smirk. Beast Boy gave her a startled look and Raven felt a slight heat grow in her cheeks. She turned her flushed face back into her book. She really didn't want Beast Boy to think she had a sick mind. But to her immense relief, Beast Boy laughed.

"Didn't know you had it in you! You're right, we should. They're both head over heels," he took a sip from the can in his hand. But at that moment their conversation was cut short with an exasperated yell from their teammate, who had just lost his game.

End Flashback

Raven was jolted awake from her thoughts as Robin put a hand on her shoulder. "Did you hear me?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked you where you put the grocery list." Raven was the only one trusted with the difficult task of keeping the list up-to-date. Starfire had no clue what some of the foods were in the store, Robin was often too distracted, Cyborg would have loaded it with all his favorites, which included but was not limited to, meats and really sugary crap that rotted their teeth and would attract so many rats it wasn't even funny, and Beast Boy... no one even wanted to think about that.

Raven stood up, walked over to the counter, and pulled open a drawer. There was a big stack of papers, all of which appeared to be receipts of some sort, but she dug underneath them and pulled out a piece of lined paper which, much to Robin's dismay, had a lot written on it.

"I had to hide it from some people who would have erased all the important things off the list and put their own on," she growled, stealing a glance at the green teen. But Beast Boy was oblivious at that point, since he already walked over to play a video game. Cyborg, seeing this, hopped the couch and picked up the second controller. Raven rolled her eyes, grabbed her book, and sat back down, this time on edge of the couch. She was so used to the noise of explosions and brawls on the TV, it didn't really matter where she read. But she could tell breakfast was a long way away, so she might as well be comfortable.

Robin shoved the list into his pocket. (Author's Notes: Does he even have pockets? Oh well.) He fixed his gaze then on the tousled Starfire. "Well, I better get going. Hopefully I get this all done quickly, there's a new training program I'd like to try..." he trailed off, lost in thought. He walked over to the elevator and pushed in the button for the bottom floor.

Starfire stepped forward. "Do you wish for me to accompany you?"

Robin looked up suddenly. "No, that's OK, don't worry about it. I've got it covered." Starfire's face fell, but she nodded. The elevator doors closed and Robin was left staring at the cold metal wondering if he had said the right thing.

None of the rest of the Teen Titans had been paying any attention so the exchange that had just went on. Beast Boy and Cyborg were pressing buttons on their controllers so rapidly, it looked as if they would combust at any second. Raven was once again immersed in her readings, and didn't notice the outside world at all. If any of them had been paying attention, they would have seen their last team mate staring wistfully at the elevator doors.

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Author's Notes: Ahh! Oh WOW, I actually finished that!! Wheee! Ahem, anyway, please, please, please review! I need your feedback! It shall be crucial to me. I really will take what you say into account. Please review! I will love you forever! Hmm, I appear to be begging. bangs head repeatedly on keyboard I don't want to beg. BUT I WOULD LOVE A REVIEW! Ahh, please! All I need is one review for me to update. I swear! Please.


	2. The Aisle

Author's Notes: Oh WOW!! I love you guys! I have gotten such wonderful reviews, they have made my week, seriously. I feel like I ought to reply to them, simply because if you guys will take the time to review and write, then I'll take the time to answer them!

rising-terminator6- I'm so glad you like it! I'm also glad you find it interesting, I'd hate to be writing this story and finding it entertaining for myself and everybody else thinks I'm rambling... anyway, you were my first review! Thank you! _bows repeatedly_

Eva- Thank you for reviewing, and I'm glad you like it! Here is the next chapter!

MirandaOtto- Thanks for reading! Well, I had no idea how to start the story, so I did what I've been taught by my teachers: begin with something in the scene, then move on. I think that'll be the last random thing I shove in there, though. Anyway, here's the next chapter!

Rochelle- Thank you for your comments! I hope you like this next chapter.

Piezo- Thanks for reading! Also, thank you for the compliment! I was really worried that everyone would get out of character, especially Raven. I am relieved to find out that I was able to keep them true. Anyway, I hope this chapter feels longer! I realized after I posted how short the first chapter was. I didn't mean for it to be so short. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next one!

samuraistar- Thanks for reading, and here's the next chapter!

Gennie Kag's and Sess's Child- I'm glad you like it, and I hope this chapter is to your enjoyment too! soraoathkeeper- Thanks for your comments! I thought he had a pocket, but I wasn't positive. You never see the line for it, but where else is he going to keep the communicator? Anyway, thank you for clearing that up for me, and I hope you like this next chapter!

Wolf Creek- Thank you for your review! I did read my author's notes at the end after I posted, and I realized how juvenile I sounded, not at all like my 14 years should have been heard. Thank you for pointing it out for me. I know what you mean, to write for yourself. I definitely do, but if I come off as a person only looking for reviews, I'm glad someone caught it! Berkley? What an awesome name! My poor dictionary doesn't have one, although we refer to it as the "bitten" one because my dog tried to run off with it. Anyway, I love long reviews! Hopefully you enjoy this chapter!

theskywillfall- I'm glad you liked it! I hope this next one is one you'll like too!

anonymous- Thanks for reading! I was very nervous about posting my first story, but I'm really glad I did, I got such wonderful reviews, and it was awesome to see my own stuff on a website. Anyway, if you've written one, I'd love to read it!

MindyK1212- Thank you for your comments! I have always loved reading R/S stories, and I hope that this one lives up to all the other superb stories out there! Also, here's an update, and I hope you like it!

The Dark Azar- Thanks for reviewing! I know what you mean, it's aggravating when there are too many flashbacks. Also, as I was writing that chapter, I tried to figure who would be the most responsible of the team, and came up with Raven. I'm glad it went over well! Anyway, never fear, I won't leave this story with no ending, but the way I have it planned out now, it's going to be long! sweat drop I hope you're willing to continue reading for a while, 'cause I would love to continue to hear from you. Also, I should have mentioned my story plan... but you shall see more Raven! Hmm, I'll explain more about plan my ending notes!

RebelRikki- Thanks for reading! I'm glad that everyone seemed in character to you, that was definitely one of my goals! I hope you continue to read, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Anyway, seems to not want me to have strikethrough in my story, so please imagine all bold printed things are "strikethrough"for this chapter. Also, if there are any mistakes in the first chapter with stuff like that, it's because I am only just learning the inner workings of (though I have been familiar with the outer workings for some time). But enough of my rambling, on with the story!

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Chapter 2: "The" Aisle

Robin stepped of his motorcycle as he entered the parking lot for the local grocery store. It was true, the convenience store was a lot closer to the Tower, but Robin knew the list was long, and he would need to really stock up.

Ignoring the stares he got as he stepped on automatic pad which opened the doors, he walked quickly inside. A blast of cold air washed over him as he grabbed a cart. (A/N: I HATE that. It's so annoying, then I'm always cold in that stupid store, then when you get outside again, you roast. AUGH! By the way, I'm totally making up the grocery list below.) He pulled out the list, giving it a quick glance.

_4 bottles of soda (any kind)_

_2 boxes of herbal tea bags_

_1 bag of mini carrots (GET THEM THIS TIME)_

_3 boxes of Bisquik (sp?)_

_fruits, whatever there is and isn't rotting_

_vegetables, same_

_1 lb. of turkey_

_1 lb. of chicken_

_2 cartons of orange juice_

_3 cartons of milk (2%)_

_1 carton of soy milk (so Beast Boy stops whining)_

_2 dozen eggs_

_2 bottles shampoo (any kind, Starfire and I will buy our own)_

_3 bags of potato chips (NOT vinegar)_

_2 bags of Cheetos_

_2 packages of bacon_

_2 packages of bacon bits_

_3 boxes of tampons_

_1 bottle of hairspray_

_3 bottles of cleaning solution (we run out fast)_

_2 boxes of Cheerios_

_2 boxes of Healthy Choice cereal (or whatever it's called)_

_1 package of croissants_

_1 package of muffins_

_4 rolls of paper towels 1 new broom (I don't know WHAT she did, but Starfire killed it)_

_**12 boxes of Super Sugary Sweet Stuff Cereal**_

_**12 BOXES OF SUPER SUGARY SWEET STUFF CEREAL!!!!!!**_

_I WANT MY CEREAL!_

_NO BEASTBOY! NO CRAP CEREAL!!_

Robin chuckled slightly to himself. Raven and Beast Boy fought like an old married couple. The bottom of the list had even been torn off, where he assumed even more written arguments had taken place. It was also funny to see Raven's tiny, neat handwriting compared to Beast Boy's messy scrawl. He propped the list up in front of him where the seat for toddlers was.

He was making excellent time as he zoomed through the aisles. Robin was so preoccupied in his shopping, he didn't even notice Slade standing only four feet away, in front of a soda machine.

Slade was pacing back and forth, giving the machine cold, hard stares. He had inserted a dollar, like any normal person, but for some reason the stupid piece of metal refused to give him his requested bottle of Dr. Pepper.

"I see your plan," Slade told the inanimate object. "You and I are so very much alike. Stubborn, relentless, strong-willed... but you will see, in the end I shall prevail!" He kicked the silent machine, and only managed to injure himself. Growling to himself, he also missed the teenage hero walking behind him. Slade continued to snarl at the soda dispenser, attracting the attention of several shoppers around. One startled mother covered her daughter's eyes as everyone else backed away slowly.

Robin grinned as he picked up a slight run. He gracefully stepped onto the back of the cart and was soon rushing around the store, taking the corners on two wheels. Although he knew it wasn't exactly a good idea for one of the city's heroes to be speeding around a supermarket like that, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Besides, with all the years of martial arts training, he had complete control over the shopping cart.

He took another look at his list. He took out his pen and scratched out 2 packages of bacon bits. His list then looked like so:

_**4 bottles of soda (any kind)**_

_**2 boxes of herbal tea bags**_

_**1 bag of mini carrots (GET THEM THIS TIME)**_

_**3 boxes of Bisquik (sp?) **_

_**fruits, whatever there is and isn't rotting**_

_**vegetables, same**_

_**1 lb. of turkey**_

_**1 lb. of chicken**_

_**2 cartons of orange juice**_

_**3 cartons of milk (2%)**_

_**1 carton of soy milk (so Beast Boy stops whining)**_

_**2 dozen eggs**_

_**2 bottles shampoo (any kind, Starfire and I will buy our own)**_

_**3 bags of potato chips (NOT vinegar)**_

_**2 bags of Cheetos**_

_**2 packages of bacon**_

_**2 packages of bacon bits**_

_3 boxes of tampons_

_1 bottle of hairspray_

_3 bottles of cleaning solution (we run out fast)_

_2 boxes of Cheerios_

_2 boxes of Healthy Choice cereal (or whatever it's called)_

_1 package of croissants_

_1 package of muffins_

_4 rolls of paper towels_

_1 new broom (I don't know WHAT she did, but Starfire killed it)_

_**12 boxes of Super Sugary Sweet Stuff Cereal**_

_**12 BOXES OF SUPER SUGARY SWEET STUFF CEREAL!!!!!!**_

_I WANT MY CEREAL!_

_NO BEASTBOY! NO CRAP CEREAL!!_

Robin blinked. He slowed the cart down and jumped off. He blinked again. He looked again, but the words were the same. 'Crap...' he thought.

---

Raven furrowed her brow. She was meditating on the roof. Though the sun wasn't bright, she felt suddenly a little awkward and sluggish. She rubbed her forehead, trying to receive any sort of vision, but nothing came. The momentary discomfort passed, and she resumed chanting quietly to herself.

---

Robin stood in front of the dreaded aisle, staring down. It seemed to stretch out before him, looming larger and larger. It leered at him, making fun of him.

'Am I really going to do this?' thought Robin, as he slowly walked along the glossy tiles. He repressed a shudder. He reached out his hand to grab the first three boxes he came to, when he realized there were different brands. Oh man, and as he looked closer, some were even different colors, some with blue, pink, and yellow pastel writing. Which one was he supposed to get?

Leaving the cart, he ran back to the main hall. He peered around until he spotted a teenage girl. She was heavy-set, with think glasses obscuring her eyes, and wore a pink shirt and jean shorts, showing the world how overweight she was. As odd as it sounded, even to himself, Robin was less humiliated to ask her than some older woman.

Robin tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around, her eyes widening in surprise and recognition. Her mother, also larger than average, walked on ahead, oblivious to the fact her daughter wasn't still trailing after her. "I need a favor," Robin said, through gritted teeth.

The girl pushed her glasses farther up the bridge of her nose, and squinted at the Boy Wonder. "What do you want?" she said, in a nasally voice.

"Follow me," Robin sighed as he heard the girl's footsteps slap against the linoleum floor. 'What did I do to deserve this?'

When they got back to Robin's cart, he turned again to the girl. He shoved the list right into her face. "What?" she asked. Robin's ears hurt just from having to listen to the unpleasantness of her accent.

"Which am I supposed to get for the girls of the team?" She looked around, as if just realizing what aisle Robin had guided them into. She grinned wickedly, revealing buck teeth.

"That's a personal preference. Also, it wouldn't help to hear mine, 'cause I'm not your teammates."

Robin sighed. "Thanks anyway," he grumbled. After signing an autograph for her on the back of a receipt she found in her purse, he did the only thing he could think to do.

---

Starfire blinked as her communicator went off. She looked at Cyborg and Beast Boy, who were lounging on the couch, waiting for Robin to return with breakfast. They were watching TV, flipping through the channels, trying to find something worth their time. Raven was in the other room, using a personal computer, searching for a picture that would match her most recent poem, so she could put it in her portfolio. However, the boys didn't look up, and Raven didn't come rushing in, meaning Starfire was the only one being called.

"Hello?" she said, picking it up and holding it to her ear. "Hey Star, I need you help with some shopping..." Robin's voice came in through the electronic device, trailing off, trying to find the right words. But he didn't need to. Starfire was always eager to help.

"I shall be there as soon as I can!" With that, she clicked the gadget off. "I am going to assist Robin in the shopping! I will return shortly!" she cried. Cyborg raised a lazy arm in reply. Beast Boy grunted, and as she sped out the door, he called over his shoulder.

"Make him hurry up, will you? I know you can," he said, lowering his voice. He and Cyborg chuckled evilly until a video tape, one of Beast Boy's favorites and covered in a familiar dark energy came hurtling out of the shelves and smacked Beast Boy on the forehead.

"Ow! What was that for!?" yelled Beast Boy, massaging his aching, aching head.

"I felt like it. Also, it's punishment," came wafting from the other room.

"Punishment!? Why!?"

"You never shut up."

Cyborg rolled his one human eye as Raven and Beast Boy continued their verbal sparring from across the hall. They would keep yelling until they were hoarse, or they got bored, and unfortunately, it was usually the former. He turned up the volume on the TV, attempting to drown out his teammates cries.

---

Starfire landed right outside of the grocery store. She stepped through the threshold and scanned the sea of shoppers for her teammate. Finally, she spotted him near a display of Coke bottles. Robin waved her over, and she floated over gleefully.

"Robin! I have come to help you in purchasing food for our home!"

"Thanks Starfire, but right now I don't need help with food... umm..." Robin's voice died out. He tired to stammer out what he was up to on the list, but he couldn't find the words. He motioned behind him, where the evil objects sat, all lined up.

Starfire's eyes grew wide with shock. She blushed. "Oh... um..." For once, she seemed to be at a loss for words.

Robin put a hand behind his neck. "I didn't know what you wanted..." He pointed to the items name on the list. Starfire took the piece of paper, muttering to herself.

"Oh, of course, Raven never assumed... she thought she'd be going... or...yes, well, I'll go get them." She grabbed the cart and pushed it down the aisle. She knew immediately where to find the brand she was searching for, and quickly knocked three boxes on top of the rest of the stuff in their shopping cart.

Starfire and Robin finished the rest of the shopping with ease, still both a little sheepish at the encounter. As they stepped back into the warmer air of the parking lot, the found the motorcycle and began to unload the bags onto the back. Starfire looked around at the amount of groceries they had accumulated, and said, "How did you expect to transport all of our purchases home on your own anyway?"

Robin glanced around too and shook his head. "I didn't think there was going to be that many bags."

They arrived home at around 9:00, making good time. Starfire helped place all the bags on the kitchen table, then grabbed one of "the" boxes for herself, and jetted off towards her room. Cyborg, who had begun to rip through the packages, gave Robin a curious look. Robin sunk exhaustedly into a seat.

"Was she carrying what I thought she was carrying?"

"Ugh. Yeah. And I had to call her to know what to buy." Robin massaged his temples. "I made a complete idiot out of myself."

"Rough," Cyborg said, through a mouthful of Super Sugary Sweet Stuff Cereal, which Robin had bought anyway.

Beast Boy laughed. "You had to call her?"

"Can it."

"And ask her what kind?"

"I said-" Beast Boy laughed even louder. In a mock, high-pitched voice, he said, "Oh, Starfire, I didn't know what kind you wanted, and my only dream in life is make you so very comfortable on Earth..."

"What are you-"

Beast Boy grinned even wider. He looked very canine at the moment. "Or maybe, people were beginning to wonder what you were doing over there... what with your costume and all..."

Robin stood up. Beast Boy realized a bit too late he had crossed the line. His grin faltered, but did not fade. There was no way he wasn't in trouble, so he might as well make the most of it. He didn't even mean anything he'd said; it was just too fun pushing people's buttons.

Robin strode over to where Beast Boy sat, crossed legged. Beast Boy could tell he was being "intimidating," but it wasn't working on him. He was used to it. Robin reached into a paper bag and pulled out one of the remaining boxes. Beast Boy abruptly lost his cocky attitude.

"What am I supposed to do with that?"

"Give it to Raven," said Robin with sneer. Beast Boy blanched, which was hard for him to do, being green.

"But-"

"Now." Robin shoved the box into his lap. Grumbling, Beast Boy gingerly picked up the boxes, trying not to think of its contents, and walked through the halls until he stood outside Raven's door. He suppressed a gulp and pulled at his collar. He raised a sweaty hand to knock on the door.

'This is the worst thing I've ever done,' he thought to himself, listening to the quiet footsteps getting louder inside the dark room. 'And that's saying something.'

"What?" Raven opened the door a crack to see who was there. Beast Boy held the box out, as far away from his body as possible. "What is tha-?" Raven blushed as she realized. "Why do you have these?"

"I... well, you see... uh-"

"Never mind," snapped Raven, as she wrenched the box from his grip. Beast Boy could see through the gloom that her face was a deep scarlet. She slid the door closed quickly, and it shut with a thud. Beast Boy found himself looking at his own shadow on the metal surface.

Beast Boy stomped back through to the kitchen, where Robin and Cyborg were eating. His face was a mixture of green and red, making him very odd, and strangely Christmas-ish. "That was not funny, dudes," he said sullenly. But by the noise level of Robin and Cyborg's laughs, they thought so.

-----

Author's Notes: Woo! Another chapter finished. Anyway, I should have said this earlier, but I forgot... my bad. Anyway, this story will be pretty long (I have it mapped out in my head) and can be broken into two parts. Although it will be all one story, the first half will focus a bit more on R/S, and when I get them together, the attention shifts more to the R/BB portion. There will be both couples throughout the entire story, but I want them to actually get together separately. Anyway, just wanted to let everyone know that. For now, I must be off to tend to my own dog, ironically enough, named Raven. (But I named her before I started watching Teen Titans, but only just. Like only a few months.) Anyway, please review, it will be much appreciated!


	3. Proposal

Author's Notes: Ahh! Thanks SO much for all your reviews! To be honest, I was really worried about the last chapter... I didn't know if people would like it or what. Now I'm worried about this chapter... it went off with a mind of its own, to be truthful. Although, yes, I like this chapter, but I would hate to be the only one! Eh, anyway, I guess we'll find out! Onto the replies! _gallops off_

Rochelle- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you thought it was funny, that was my main goal! I liked the part with Slade too but shh! I don't think I'm supposed to say that lol. Anyway, I hope you like this next one!

rising-terminator6- I'm so happy you thought it was funny! Also, I'm glad you liked the detail, I'm often a little nervous I put in too much... I can't stop myself! Anyway, I totally loved your review! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Change-Of-Heart2- Thanks for reading! I'm glad you like the story. I gotta tell you, I loved writing the Robin-torture part. Meh, I'm evil. Alas, poor Beast Boy! Mwaha, that part was fun too. Anyway, hopefully you like this chapter!

Regrem Erutaerc- Thanks for the comments! I'm glad I've kept them in character... To be honest, I was most afraid that I would mess up their personalities! Also, I hadn't thought of Truth or Dare, but that is a great idea! I have the next two chapters mapped out, but that is definitely becoming one! I shall dedicate it to you, if you don't mind! Awesome idea! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Redflame08- Hey, I'm glad you liked the evil things, they were a blast to write about! I hope you like this next chapter!

......- Did I get the name right? Anyway, no, you're not too late, I'm glad you like it! Hopefully you like this chapter!

MirandaOtto- Thank you for reviewing! I'm so glad you liked it! Yeah, the little kid thing was a bit odd, but oh well, I'm happy I could clear it up for you! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

raven-telekinetic- Wow, really? Thanks SO much! I'm really glad you like it! I hope you like this chapter!

LordVaughan- Thanks for your comments! Haha, yes, Slade went through such a trauma. Poor guy! Hopefully you like this chapter!

jess- Yeah, I bet it was! I think that could possibly be THE most embarrassing situation in all of creation. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Wolf Creek- Haha, I think you entered my brain! The fact that he should not go alone will be important later! But shh... that's a secret for now! A dictionary/thesaurus is a great two-for-one-deal! Sadly, we don't have one, but we have them separately. Ah well, tell Berkley I say hello! But (answering two reviews in one) that stinks you don't have a PS2. What happened to yours? Anyway, yes, Tidus does come back. In FFX-2, you collect percentage by doing everything there is to do in the game. If you get 100%, you see a special ending, in which Tidus returns. If you don't get enough percent, I don't think he comes back... but I didn't know there was a third. Hmm, what do you know about a third? I have the strategy guide which is helping me get 100%, but it didn't tell me to do something until close to the end, so I may not get it all this time around, but I'm definitely playing through again... I must get Tidus back! Anyway, woo, that was long... hopefully you enjoy this chapter!

CrazyFreak-o-maniac- I'm glad you like it so far! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

warprince2000- Thanks for reading! I'm happy that you enjoy it, and hopefully you like this chapter!

Me222- Haha, many people are sympathizing with the boys, and I don't blame them! But it's even worse in my house where the dog runs around with them and leaves them in random places... and I have to chase after her and shove them out of sight before my brother shows up... I don't think he even knows what they are. Ah well, hope you like the next chapter!

ThessalyD- Thanks for your comments! Here's the next chapter!

sweetiehartieangel369- Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you like it, hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter!

PANOBSESSEDBRAT- I'm glad you like it, and I hope you like the next one!

Robinfan- Thanks for reading! Also, thanks for the compliments and I hope you like this chapter!

theskywillfall- Robin's having a rough day, haha. Also, never fear, there will be tons of Raven/Beast Boy in the near future! Thanks so much for reviewing!

ScarletAngel68- Haha, yes, I do have an account, I'm just so lazy... so I don't use it to review. Meh, ah well! To me, it seems Slade is ALWAYS saying that, so I just had to put it in! And yes, that would have been smart of BB if he'd just left it... but as we all know, he was not gifted with brains! Poor guy! Anyway, thanks so much for your comments!

starrobin4eva- Thanks for reading! Hmm, I don't know... all this stuff just pops into my head and I have to get it out, otherwise it haunts me! I'm just really glad that other people like it! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Flufferpuf- Hey Flufferpuf! Bonk to you as well! I'll help you get the dent out! I'm glad you like the story! Hehe, the 'unmentionables' part was a blast to write, I'm glad you liked it! Also, your story totally does NOT suck! If you updated it, I'm definitely reading it! Don't you dare doubt your writing skills!

Anyway, sorry this chapter took a while in coming out... I was planning to have it up on Thursday, but the chapter took longer than expected and then I slept over my best friend's house and went to the beach with her the next day. She's leaving for camp tomorrow, so we had to get in that one last thing... when she gets back in two weeks, I'll be leaving for Vermont for another week. Anyway, I hope everyone likes this chapter!

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Chapter 3: Proposal

It was late afternoon when the call came in. Everyone was minding their own business, when the alert came on, indicating someone had hacked into their computer system and was sending them a transmission. Their defensive systems were top-notch, but those that had set up the Tower's computer communication devices had allowed easy access to their main screen. Someone outside couldn't search in their files and such, but could maneuver in and send them a call. The police force used it the most, but Slade had gotten in that one time, and now, before them, was the face, enlarged to fit the screen, of a man they did not recognize.

"The Teen Titans, I presume?" he said in a deep voice.

"Um, yeah?" Beast Boy said, with a hint of sarcasm. Raven elbowed him in the ribs.

"I have a special message from my employer. He wishes to remain nameless, at least until the end of the transmission. If you agree to what he has to say, you will find out who he is."

Robin frowned. He didn't like the sound of this. Starfire caught his eye. Her hands were clasped in front of her chest, and she had a concerned look on her face. "There is no harm in simply listening, no?" she whispered to him. He nodded.

"What's the message?"

The man screen grinned. He had a well-trimmed beard, and wore sunglasses, which obscured his face from sight. "My boss wishes to inform you he has a top-secret mission he wants carried out. He needs well-trained operatives to successfully retrieve something for his latest experiments. There will be a reward. Will you help him?"

"How can we help him if we have no idea what he wants?" Raven asked. The man sneered down at her.

"My employer will disclose that information with your consent to assist him. What I have just told you is all I can tell you."

Raven frowned. Robin could spot a blow-out coming up, and stepped forward. "Can you give us a minute?"

"Of course."

Robin turned around, then signaled for everyone to follow. They stood in the hallway, just out of sight of the main screen. Robin called them into a huddle. For a brief second, he looked proudly at his cooperative team, everyone united for a common goal. They had been shaken slightly with Terra's coming and going, but they were once again a team, ready for action. (A/N: AHH! I haven't even seen "Betrayal" yet. Curse you, Cartoon Network! _shakes fist_ Anyway, I think I'd like Terra if she didn't throw a wrench into R/BB... but since she does, GRAGH! No like Terra!!! Terra must LEAVE! _cough_ But on with the story!)

"There's gotta be a catch," said Cyborg, his robotic eye glinting. "With big guys like this, there's always a catch."

"He said there'd be a reward," Beast Boy pointed out.

"So?" asked Raven, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "If they're offering a reward, they really want the thing done, and can't do it themselves." Raven shrugged. It scared her, but what Beast Boy said was actually logical. And 'Beast Boy' and 'logical' did not belong in the same sentence.

"This man said we would have to 'retrieve' something. What could there be preventing him from getting it that would require us to fetch it for him?" Starfire questioned, changing the subject. "Do they need it taken by force?"

"If they do, then we shouldn't get it... whatever 'it' is... right?" asked Cyborg.

"I don't know," Robin answered, slowly. "But if we agree to meet this guy in person, we can demand more information, and he'll have a harder time saying no. Besides, if we really don't want to, we don't have to."

"Makes sense," put in Beast Boy.

"Alright," from Raven.

"I'm in," Cyborg said.

Starfire looked at Robin. "If you think we should, then I agree."

Raven shook her head at Starfire's devotion, and her eye caught Beast Boy's. They stared at each other for a second too long, and both turned, blushing. Raven tried to shrink back into her cloak, as much as it would allow, and Beast Boy suddenly became fascinated with the ceiling.

'What am I thinking?' Raven mentally berated herself as they reentered the main room. 'He's just an immature, stupid, foolish...' She continued to rattle off insults in her head at him, not noticing where she was going. She walked straight into Cyborg and went reeling back. She felt a pair of arms grab hers, holding her up. She looked up backwards into the face of the boy she had just been internally fighting with. Raven growled at him, and Beast Boy let go, grinning sheepishly.

"We'll meet with your boss," said Robin to the man, who's face was still projected onto the screen. He grinned. To Starfire, it looked very triumphant. She shivered slightly. She had a bad feeling about this.

"Excellent. Please go to the abandoned warehouse that has since been turned into a night club. If you arrive at 7:00 pm promptly, there will be a black vehicle that will transport you to the arranged meeting place." With that, there was a click and the monitor went dark.

"Seven it is then..." said Robin, turning slowly from the now-empty screen.

---

"Umm... is it just me, or is there no black car?" Beast Boy asked his teammates.

They were waiting outside the dance club where Blackfire had taken them that fateful night, long ago. Although they didn't go inside, teenagers entering through the front doors gave them odd looks as they paid. The Goth guy who had attempted to flirt with Raven was there again, and tried approaching the dark Titan, but she glared ferociously at him, and he scurried off to skulk in the shadows inside.

"Hey, what happened with that guy?" queried Cyborg, turning to Raven. She just shook her head.

"Not now."

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. He was really curious, but he decided against bugging her. 'Some other time,' he thought.

Robin and Starfire were perched on a wooden crate, overlooking the bay. (A/N: I think that warehouse was on a pier, right? If I'm wrong, don't hurt me!) Starfire looked up at the glittering stars, contrasting against the ebony sky. "Something wrong?" asked Robin.

"I do not know..." Starfire sighed. "This entire business has me on edge, but I do not know why."

"I know it sounds a little fishy," Robin said. Starfire gave him a confused glance. "Never mind. Anyway, that's just how some people are in the big cities. They act very shady just 'cause that's how everyone acts. Even if they have nothing to hide. The city toughens them into strange characters. There are only a select few who can resist it, and remain sweet and innocent."

"Like who?" asked Starfire, leaning forward off the box, gazing intently at Robin. He flushed. It was times like these when he felt as if she could see right through his mask, past his eyes, and straight through to his soul.

"You, for one," he replied, regaining his ground.

Starfire turned pink. "I thank you. And you Robin, you are not hardened by the city's roughness. You have remained sweet and innocent." It was Robin's turn to blush. He could feel the heat rise in his cheeks. No one had ever called him innocent before. A life of fighting crime seemed to have stripped him of childhood innocence, and he had known it, and accepted it. But here he was questioning it. Had he really lost his innocence? And sweet!? Were he and Starfire talking about the same person? He'd always considered himself very unemotional. Was she seeing something he couldn't?

"Robin."

He blinked. "Yeah?"

"Promise me... promise me that we can decline this man's offer, if it does not seem right. Please?" Starfire looked up at him with pleading eyes, but before he could answer, a black van drove up right in front of them. The windows were tinted so that no light could penetrate them and reveal the driver, or passengers.

"C'mon," Robin said, standing up. Everyone else followed him to the van door, which had swung open automatically, as if on its own accord.

Starfire hesitated slightly, looking once again at the stars. She could name so many of them, having traveled to a great deal of them, first with her family, then by herself. There were many myths and legends on her home planet, about the gods, and the heroes who served them. The stories told of them living in the sky, flitting among the stars, and protecting each sun and its satellites. Although none of the Tameraneans were very religious anymore, they still asked for permission and protection before any space travel. They felt as if they were entering their god's domain. Starfire had done so before coming to Earth, and even on her brief excursion while undergoing transformation, saying the prayer as she flew, tears streaming from her eyes.

Now she looked up at the home of her creators, sparkling at her, reminding her she was not forgotten. "Please," she whispered. "Please let us be OK." With that, she joined her teammates in their transportation.

The driver did not turn around, even as the teens clambered in. Instead, he pressed a button on the side of his door as soon as Starfire entered the vehicle, and the back door slammed shut. Surprised, she fell forward, right onto Robin's lap. Laughing embarrassedly, he helped her up and into her own seat. Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg were squished in the back row. Raven sat between the two boys, trying very hard not to touch the green one on her left, yet not wanting to throw herself all over Cyborg. She didn't think of him like that, and she never would. They had a deep respect for one another, but it wasn't anything romantic.

Cyborg raised an eyebrow at Raven trying to escape contact with the changeling. He smirked inwardly, deciding to have a bit of fun. Slowly, he settled into the seat as deeply as he could, crowding Raven out so she had to snuggle up to Beast Boy to be able to breathe properly. 'Although,' she thought, as Beast Boy gave her a confused look as she was pushed against him even more by the ever-growing Cyborg, 'Not breathing doesn't sound that bad right about now.'

"Umm...do you want something?" asked Beast Boy quietly. Raven shot Cyborg a death glare but he pretended not to see.

"No- eh!" Cyborg had finally elbowed her so that she was almost popped out of the seat. Consequently, her left leg ended up on Beast Boy's right leg. She spun to face Cyborg, ready to kill, when all of a sudden, their seatbelts all unbuckled, Beast Boy's smacking its previous owner in the face as it was sucked back into the inner workings of the car. Before any of the Titans could say anything, the car screeched to a stop, and a hole opened in the floor. But instead of revealing pavement, there was a giant gap in the street.

"Go. He will see you now," the driver finally spoke up.

Robin squinted into the gloom of the hole. He couldn't see a bottom. "Ready guys?" Beast Boy transformed into a hawk, and began to flap, showering Raven with a few green feathers. She grabbed one out of the air, and slipped it into her pocket, on an impulse. She then forgot about it, and grabbed Robin by the arms, and they descended into the dark hole. Starfire, although possessing superhuman strength, and the only one able to carry Cyborg, felt a stab of jealousy.

As they hit bottom, the team could see a single chair, with light emanating from a bulb hanging above it. A man sat with his hands clasped, eyes closed. He had long white hair, although he looked only a few years older than any of them, eighteen at the most. He wore a red suit, and a cane was propped against on of the arms, not that he needed one. The top of the cane was a silver dragon's head, in mid-roar. On his jacket was a simple emblem of a dragon's head. Starfire shivered again.

"Welcome. I am Michael Stalwart." The man stood up, raising his arms. "And this," he said grandly. "This is my secret laboratory, where I can design products in peace."

Something clicked in Robin's brain. The name sounded familiar, but he had no idea where he'd have heard it.

"You design things?" Cyborg questioned. Michael Stalwart laughed.

"Merely an expression. I have many able scientists who work for me. Their most current project is-"

"What do you want from us?" Robin interrupted, cutting to the chase.

"Patience, Robin. I was about to explain. My men are currently working on constructing a large ray device. Properly used, it will be able to restore tissue and heal almost any flesh wound. It will revolutionize the medical world!" Michael Stalwart's eyes grew bright with passion.

"No offense, but what does that have to do with us?" asked Beast Boy. Michael Stalwart lowered his arms, gazing at the boy with little expression on his face. Beast Boy recoiled. "I mean, we're all about saving lives, don't get me wrong, but I'm no scientist."

Michael Stalwart chuckled again. "No, no, you misunderstand. What I need you to do is retrieve something for me, and, possibly, provide defense for us."

"Why do you need defense? And what's with all the secrecy?" asked Robin suspiciously.

Michael Stalwart clasped his hands behind his back. "Both good questions." He began to pace. "We need secrecy for two reasons. The first is, quite simply, we do not want to put up false hope. If this experiment is successful, we can save thousands of lives. But we have no idea if this will work at all, and we do not to disappoint so many people. If we accomplish our goal, we will create hundreds more of this device, but for now, there is only one. The second reason we require secrecy is that someone may want to stop us."

"Who would want to stop you?" Raven asked.

"Are you not always after someone named Slade? He would want to stop us, for it would rescue people he seeks to destroy. There are others like him, out there, biding their time, waiting for their opportunity to strike."

'Where is Slade these days?' reflected Robin.

---

"WHEE!" cried Slade happily, as he swung back and forth on the playground swings. He pumped his legs to make him go higher and faster.

"Hey Mister!" a little voice called from below. Slade, disgruntled at being interrupted, dragged his feet in the sand and slowed to a stop. A girl, about five, stood next to him. She wore a pink dress, her hair in pigtails, and a frown on her face. "We want a turn on the swing!" she yelled, gesturing behind her. There was a line of children, all of varying colors and shapes, but all looking angrily at Slade.

Slade glanced to the side. There were only two swings, the one he occupied, and the one next to him, which was broken. It hung limply, the chain having snapped on one side.

"Get off!" the girl shrieked. Slade growled menacingly at her. She squeaked, and the entire group of children ran away, stumbling over each other in their haste to escape. Content, Slade began swinging again.

---

"So you see, the defense is also for those people. Those that wish to stop us from reaching our goal. Those that are crafty and sneaky enough to discover where we are hiding this device."

Robin frowned in thought. The name still hung in the air since it was first said, taunting him. He knew he had heard it elsewhere. He shook his head slightly to clear his brain. He looked up again. "What is this thing you want us to get for you?"

"Ah, there is what I have been waiting for! You see, we have designed this machine to run on modified solar energy. The sun's rays will be the source of power for this device. But, as you can imagine, it is very hard to get sunlight in a hospital, so we had to build the machine to run on a very little amount of sun. But this machine needs more power than a little sun, so we changed it yet again. Now all we need is Sangrian crystal. The crystal catches the light and amplifies it, distorting it, making it stronger."

"And we're supposed to get you this Sangsomething crystal?" inquired Beast Boy.

"Well, it shall not be hard to possess. It currently resides in the Metro Art Museum. The museum's owners would be much more inclined to deliver the Sangrian crystal to the Teen Titans than a wealthy man who hides in the shadows," Michael Stalwart explained. "This crystal is very rare, and it would take a long time to locate another one."

"So we just waltz in there, ask for the crystal, get the crystal, come back here, and we're done?" asked Cyborg incredulously.

"Yes, that is all that I require of you. And, if it's not too much trouble, and if the need arises, you could return here and ward off anyone interested in halting our productions," added Michael Stalwart. He walked over to where Starfire stood anxiously. His eyes traveled up and down her form, his gaze lingering at times. He caught her eye, and stared her down. For a split second, a look of hunger glinted in his look. "I trust that won't be too hard," he whispered. Starfire felt very exposed all of a sudden.

Robin felt a wave of anger and jealousy wash over him, suffocating him. Who was this guy to look at Starfire like that? She didn't need to be revealed to the darker side of town. Robin fought diligently to prevent that from happening. Even though this Michael Stalwart's intentions were pure, he was still scum.

"What was this you said about a reward?" Robin asked. Michael Stalwart turned to fix his gaze upon Robin. Starfire sighed with relief at the break in his stare, unaware that she had been holding her breath.

"I did say that indeed. You shall have what you want, whatever you want, if you help me. After my goal is met, you may name your price," he answered. Robin nodded.

"How can we reach you again?"

"Take my card." Michael Stalwart reached into his front coat pocket and produced a small slip of paper. He held it out to Robin, who took it, looking at it. It bore the man's name, as well as a number and a red dragon insignia identical to the one on Michael Stalwart's jacket. "You can reach me any time. If I happen to be unavailable, I will return your call as soon as possible." Robin pocketed the card, and pivoted, heading towards the shaft of light that was the open sky. His team followed, Raven and Beast Boy lagging.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Raven said quietly, turning to watch Michael Stalwart walk away into the gloom.

"Every one of my instincts says no," added Beast Boy. They looked at one another, then hurried to catch up to their teammates. Neither looked back, but if they had, they may have noticed something odd. Michael Stalwart had vanished without a trace.

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Author's Notes: CRAP! This story has kind of gone beyond my reach... when I started writing it, I had NO idea that it would end up with something like this... and I can only hope with all my heart that it turns out OK! Argh! Sorry if this chapter seems really out-of-place, I honestly hadn't expected the story to go into a real actiony part... but I don't think I'd be able to write another Chapter 3, even if I wanted to. Anyway, never fear, the next chapter will be funny! (I can try...) But yeah, next chapter will have fluffy goodness and humor! Yay!

Oh yeah! I just discovered something very annoying. If anyone owns the Teen Titans Go! comics, please open either issue 1 or 2... Or any magazine for that matter... flip through until you find an advertisement for "Grabbed by the Ghoulies," some video game... not my type personally, but I'm not knocking it. If you look at the advertisement (and it's the same one), you will see all these screen shots, and one picture of three guys "playing" the game. The guy on the far right (or far left if they flipped it some places), pointing at the screen going, "Ohh!" was in four of my classes last year. He's such a... ergh... there's no words. He wore Abercrombie and Fitch every day, he bought all the popular girls Tiffany's, and only talked to me when it was to his benefit. Not that I care about popularity one iota, but still, the guy is a fake! If he ever sees this, he'll kill me... but he won't... haha! Anyway, yeah, I was just annoyed by it, 'cause he's in my comics! MY comics! I mean, this is the guy I helped trip with my friend Jon? ARGH, get him out! sigh Anyway, please review and tell me what you think of this chapter!


	4. Triple Vanilla, Strawberry, and Avocado ...

Author's Notes: Oh wow, I am SO sorry it took so long for me to get this chapter out. My cousin stayed over for a few days, and then we went to my aunt's cabana for a day, and I didn't have the chance to get this up.

Also, I owe everyone an apology. I reread my last chapter, and realized it wasn't funny. I mean, I called it a humor story, right?! Ugh, I'm sorry. I won't try to give an excuse, but for those who want a reason, it was because I was a bit upset about my friend. You see, she's been on this hippie craze or whatever, and I'm sure we all know what hippies are famous for being... like druggies or whatever. And no, she hasn't done that, but it's been bothering me that she's been so enthralled by everything hippieish. I mean... I don't know, it was upsetting me that she was focusing on that sort of thing so much... I just kind of wanted to shake her and say, "What are you thinking?!" But anyway, that actually helped me vent, and now I don't feel so depressed by it, and am finally giving you this next chapter, which again I'm sorry took so long in coming out!

But of course, after reviews!

Rochelle- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you enjoy this next one!

warprince2000- Thanks for your comments! Here's the next chapter, hope you like it!

rising-terminator6- Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad you like Slade, he's the most fun to write! Anyway, I hope there's enough fluff in here for you, I'm trying my best! Thanks again for your really kind comments!

Change-Of-Heart2- Thank you for reading! Definitely, we all need a laugh everyday, and I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! I hope you like this next one!

Regrem Erutaerc- Thanks for reviewing! I decided to make Slade a bit crazy in this particular story for the heck of it, to be truthful. Hehe, but it's a lot of fun for me. I personally think he is a really cool evil villain, honestly! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

MirandaOtto- Thank you so much for reading! That's really sweet of you for the favorite! I hope you like this chapter!

MoonFireFire- Thanks for your comments! I hope you like this next chapter!

ScarletAngel68- Thank you for reviewing! Yes, this kid is THE most unbelievable idiot, like, ever. He is so annoying. Anyway, Slade was definitely the most fun to write, so I'm glad you like him! I love making him do crazy things, mwaha, power! And yes, you are right about Stalwart, he is indeed a jerk! But shh! Secret for now! Hehe, anyway, I'm really glad you liked the last chapter, and I hope you like this one too! And never fear, I love long reviews!

RebelRikki- Thanks for reading! I do agree, the third chapter was a bit out of place... it was never supposed to be that serious. As I said earlier, I was upset about a few things and it kind of showed up in my writings, which I realize now and totally regret. But thanks for sticking around, and I hope you like this next chapter!

Wolf Creek- Thanks for your comments! Well, I decided to have a bit of fun with Slade... mwahaha... sorry, it was just amusing for me, and I'm glad it made you laugh! And thanks for your suggestion, I worked it in with my own little twist, hehe, I'm sure you'll spot it! And yes, Stalwart is creepy... not the kind of guy you'd want to meet in a dark alley... ugh. Anyway, thanks for the FFX-2 website, I definitely will check it out! Anyway, I hope you had a great time at soccer camp, hehe, and I hope you like this chapter!

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Chapter 4: Triple Vanilla, Strawberry, and Avocado Scoop with Cherries, Whipped Cream, and Macadamia Nuts

Cyborg looked around at his teammates. They were all in varying shades of depression. Robin was brooding, Starfire was subdued, Beast Boy was silent, and Raven was borderline testy.

Cyborg stopped short. Everyone looked up at him.

"You know what we need?" he asked.

No one answered. Finally Starfire volunteered a, "What?"

"ICE CREAM!" Cyborg grinned wildly. He was greeted with silence. "My treat," he added.

There was a sudden chorus of "Yeah!" "Sure!" and other sounds of approval. Cyborg smiled inwardly. He knew that everyone had a tight budget, but he didn't mind treating every now and then.

They began to walk towards the ice cream parlor, three blocks away.

---

"May I help you sir?" asked the girl at the counter. She had a bored tone of voice, since she'd been standing there for three hours. It was just a summer job, but still, she should have thought twice before applying for a job an ice cream store.

Slade held his chin thoughtfully as he looked at the sheet of flavors hanging in the window. There were so many choices...

"I will have... a soft vanilla cone with 2,719 chocolate sprinkles," he decided.

"Right..." the girl gave him an odd look as she turned around to fix his cone. She held the lever down as the ice cream piled itself on top of the cone. She pulled out the chocolate sprinkles, and rolled the cone expertly in them, covering the outside. She wrapped a napkin around the bottom of the cone, and handed it through the small opening. Slade grabbed it, then looked suspiciously at the ice cream. He slapped down his money, then went off into the shadows.

At that same moment he disappeared, the Teen Titans rounded the corner, all talking animatedly. Robin was trying to explain to Starfire what flavors of ice cream there was.

"So I cannot order an artichoke ice cream?" Starfire questioned, with wide eyes. Robin grimaced.

"No, sorry. But there are plenty of other flavors out there, so I'm sure we'll find something you like."

Cyborg sidled up to the window where the girl stood, still peering into the dark where the odd man had vanished. "Hey sweetie," he said coyly. "What's the flavor of the day?" But before she could even answer, he was shoved out of the way by a hyper green boy.

"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! I know what I want to order!"

Raven stood over his shoulder and rolled her eyes. The girl behind the counter raised her eyebrows, and prompted, "Yes?"

"I'd like a triple vanilla, strawberry, and avocado scoop with cherries, whipped cream, and macadamia nuts!" Beast Boy said proudly, holding up one finger.

"Coming right up..." the girl said hesitantly, but still obliged to his wishes, and began making his request.

"Are you really going to eat all that?" Raven asked incredulously. Beast Boy nodded happily. She just shook her head. "How...?" Raven found her eyes scanning over Beast Boy. He didn't have an ounce of fat on him, and yet he pigged out constantly. It really wasn't fair. Raven then mentally berated herself for even _thinking_ about Beast Boy's physique.

Cyborg came back, growling at Beast Boy. "What did you get?" he asked him angrily.

Beast Boy turned, and leaned against the side of the building. "The usual," he replied, smirking.

Cyborg groaned. "Then it'll take a while." He walked over to where Robin and Starfire were waiting patiently, sitting at one of the picnic tables.

Cyborg sat down next Robin, on one of the benches. Starfire was perched on top of the wooden table. Robin glared at Cyborg for invading, but the robotic teen didn't notice.

"So what are we doing tomorrow?" Cyborg asked. Starfire looked expectantly at Robin for his answer.

"I don't know..." answered Robin, eyeing Cyborg suspiciously. "Why?"

"Just curious."

"What flavor of the cream of ice will you be purchasing, Cyborg?" questioned Starfire, changing the subject.

"Probably what I always get, two chocolate scoops with chocolate chips."

"You don't need that much sugar," said Robin, looking at Cyborg with a wary look. Cyborg grinned wickedly.

"Is that good?" Starfire asked, turning her gaze towards the larger teen.

"The best there is!"

"Might I try it?" she asked anxiously.

"Yeah, sure!" You might want to get only one scoop though, it's a lot of ice cream," answered Robin. Starfire beamed at him.

"Thank you!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck in a fierce hug. Robin turned beet red.

"It's just ice cream," he mumbled. Starfire giggled, and got up. She stood behind Raven, who was about to order, since the girl at the cash register had just finished with Beast Boy's request.

Cyborg smirked at Robin's still red face. "Don't even pretend you didn't enjoy that."

Robin opened his mouth to protest, but found he was to tired to argue over it. He had enjoyed it, and what was the point of lying to Cyborg? "OK," he said, also getting up. Cyborg shrugged, very surprised that Robin hadn't put up a fight over it, and joined the rest of the team at the stand. Raven had gotten her order of a single scoop cookie dough cone, and Starfire was asking for her ice cream.

Soon the group of friends was sitting at the wooden table, enjoying their respective orders. The girl at the counter, having no other customers, was straining hard to see through the dingy window at the stand. She had recognized them, and wanted a better view.

Beast Boy was slurping loudly, thoroughly immersed in his cone. Raven seemed to be using every bit of constraint she knew to keep herself from smacking him. Starfire was greedily licking up the drips of chocolate ice cream trailing down the cone. Robin, who was sitting next to her, carefully pushed her arm so that her nose was shoved into the scoop. Starfire squeaked as her the tip of her nose got very cold, very fast. She looked beside herself at Robin, who had a wolfish grin plastered all over his face. She stuck her tongue out, and nudged his arm, causing his own ice cream to smear on his cheek. Before he could retaliate, Beast Boy let out a high pitched squeal, that sound unlike anything that could have come from a human.

Beast Boy was staring straight ahead, eyes glazed. His teammates all gave him an odd look.

"What has happened to him?" queried Starfire. Cyborg raised a hand, waving it in front of the inert boy's face.

"Brain freeze," he said knowingly. Raven rolled her eyes. It was just like Beast Boy to completely shut off his brain, even by accident.

"Dude!" the green Titan yelled, as he suddenly snapped out of it. Everyone jumped. "Wouldn't it be freaky if Slade showed up for ice cream, like, right after we left? Do evil villains go out for ice cream? Yeah, I bet they do! What would they ask for, Evil Surprise? Do you think they'd-" he was cut short as Raven reached over and slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Just eat your ice cream," she said, removing her hand. Beast Boy looked a little deterred, but was soon happily slurping away.

"So are we going to help that Stalwart guy or not?" asked Cyborg, through a mouthful of chocolate. Robin sighed.

"I guess. We'll get it over with tomorrow. The less I see of that guy, the better." Cyborg and Raven nodded in agreement. Starfire cocked her head, as if about to ask a question, but changed her mind.

The Titans finished their ice creams, with Beast Boy only getting brain freeze once more afterwards. Cyborg grudgingly had paid the bill before, forgetting he had offered, but now he walked over to the girl again. He handed her another five.

"A tip," he said, winking. He turned on his heel and walked away. The girl smiled, staring off at the team's vanishing backs.

"You little player," Beast Boy chided Cyborg. The teen in question raised his arms over his head. "And proud of it!" Raven shook her head. "Boys," she muttered, as she sped up, not wanting to hear Cyborg and Beast Boy's banter about the many girl's hearts they had broken. Robin and Starfire were laughing over something, their hands swinging dangerously close at their sides. Raven decided to have a bit of fun. She smirked as she used her powers to grab onto Robin's cape. She carefully maneuvered it so that it became entangled in Starfire's arm. She didn't to arouse their suspicion, so she made it seem as if the wind had blown it.

Starfire felt something wrap around her arm. As she looked down, she saw that it was Robin's cape. He laughed sheepishly, unraveling it from her. She merely grinned at him, making him turn red again. Robin was just glad it was dark out, so that Starfire couldn't see his face.

'_Why_ does that keep happening?' he asked himself. Unfortunately for him, he had no answer.

Little did they know, that as the Titans disappeared around the corner, Slade came back out of the shadows, holding his ice cream cone in one hand. It was melting all over his gloved fingers. He walked triumphantly over to the counter.

"Can I help you?" the girl asked suspiciously.

"I don't know, can you?" Slade replied. The girl looked taken aback, but Slade continued to speak. "As you may recall, I ordered a soft vanilla cone with 2,719 chocolate sprinkles. I just finished counting, and you gave me 2,846 sprinkles! I demand you either fix this, or give me a refund, immediately!"

"Um, sir? Why not just pick off the sprinkles you don't want?" asked the girl, hesitantly. She spoke slowly, as if speaking with someone who wasn't of stable mind.

Slade's eye lit up. "That's brilliant!" he cried. "You're a genius, I should make you my apprentice! Together, we could rule the world!" He walked off again, cackling and plucking off sprinkles as he went.

The girl shook her head, glad she was safe behind the counter. "There's a bunch of wackos out tonight," she told herself, as she sat down, waiting for the next customers.

---

Cyborg clicked on the light, and the main room was instantly illuminated. He yawned. "Time for bed," he said. He walked off, with Robin close behind him, with Starfire on their heels as well.

"Yes, pleasant dreams to all!" Starfire said joyously.

Beast Boy yawned as well, stretching his arms up towards the ceiling as Raven walked up next to him. As he swung his arms down, his hand accidentally rubbed down Raven's back, reaching far enough down for her to open her eyes wide, then turn to him with a death glare.

"I didn't mean to!" he said, immediately withdrawing his hands, and holding them in front of his face for protection. Raven growled, her face burning crimson. She quickly walked away, retreating to the shadows of the halls that would eventually lead to her room. Beast Boy opened one eye, then patted himself to make sure he was still there. "I'm... alive?" he squeaked. He slowly made is way to his room, still in a daze.

But fifteen minutes later, the Titans would come rushing back into the front room, alerted by Cyborg loud yell as he was trying to make his way into the kitchen for a late night snack.

-----

Author's Notes: Ooh, did I just leave it at a cliffhanger? My bad! Mwahah, ah well, I am just experimenting with cliffies, see how they work. Anyway, not much to say, sorry if this chapter was a bit slow, I had a wee bit of writer's block on it... but next chapter will be longer, with a special guest star! You shall see though, when the time comes. I'll try to update much faster now, I don't have much going on, but I will be leaving for a week, so I'll get a lot up before then. Anyway, I saw "Betrayal" yesterday! Yes! Finally! Argh, but stupid Terra... please don't yell at me for my opinions though, as I said earlier, I only dislike her because she messes with BB/R. BUT I KEEP MY FAITH ALIVE! I personally like them a whole lot better. Anyway, that's all I got to say, it was still an awesome episode, Slade is so cool! But yeah, please review and tell me what you think!


	5. Catch That Squirrel!

_runs in wearing towel around shoulders like cape_

Author's Notes: Sorry it took too long to update! I went on vacation, and, try as I might, I couldn't get this bad boy done in time before I left. Then, as I got home, I suffered the horrible loss of realizing my tape didn't work. Curses! Even though my brother and I got to see "Fractured" while in Vermont, the tape I set up at home just in case, I don't even know, it spazzed. It taped the first minute, then suddenly stopped and taped Ed, Edd, and Eddy. Man, I hate that show! What did I do to deserve it?

Please don't yell at me if you like that show. It just melts my mind. Don't hurt me!

Anyway, so to make up for the long wait for this chapter, there shall be two, very quickly up! (As you can probably already tell, since I'm doing on at night then the next in the morning…) Actually, this chapter and the next were originally going to be combined into one, but then I had a lot of fun with the scene about to occur, so I broke it up. I loved writing this chapter, I was laughing as I wrote it. I must have looked like some maniacal freak… all you needed was the evil music and lightning flashing in the background. But enough of my yapping, on with the chapter!

Of course, after reviews. Man, gotta love them reviews.

Change-Of-Heart2- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad it made you laugh, I love to hear it! I hope you like this next chapter!

rising-terminator6- Thanks for your comments! I'm so glad you like it! I have sugar rushes so often, people think I act weird when I'm calm hehe. Also, I'm glad you like Slade, he's probably my favorite part of my story, which I don't think I'm allowed to say… oh well! Here's the update, and I'm glad you liked the cliffie!

Sammy- Thanks for reading! I know, Terra did interrupt the BB/R. But I think there's still hope! She's not going to be there, so they have more than enough time… mwaha! I just think they make such a better couple. Also, look for an e-mail from me sometime in the very near future… as of now, I'm really late, yikes! Hope you like this next chapter!

starrobin4eva- Thanks for you comments! Betrayal was sad. I was sad at the end, even though I'm a R/BB fan. It was still an awesome episode! And I felt the same way about Aftershock pt.1. The theme song at the end sounded out of place after such a serious ending. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

red52- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like the Slade parts! Hehe, originally, there wasn't going to even BE much of a plot… just random fluff, but then I decided a plot was needed. Anyway, I have planned quite a bit of fluff in the future, and certainly a ton in my other stories, which are in the works, although I must admit, I'm a bit nervous I'll suck at writing fluff. Meep! Anyway, I think I would like Terra if she didn't mess up the R/BB thing… but I do think it's a great way to throw conflict in for their relationship. It makes it have much more depth… I can certainly live with that! But I'll always keep the faith! Anyway, I hope you like this next chapter!

ScarletAngel68- Thanks for reading! Yes, insane people rule. They will inherit the earth. I can't wait… I mean… hehe, anyway, yes, Slade will be making an appearance in every chapter! Well, actually, except this one, sadly. This one, however, used to be combined with Chapter 6, so there was one planned, but then it grew a long, so I chopped it in half. So bear with me, and Slade will be back next chapter! Hehe, too bad Cyborg doesn't order the same thing, but they BOTH sound good… mmm… Anyway, I did like writing the cliffy, but I know how it is to be on the receiving end of one, so I won't use them too much. Or will I… no, only when needed. Also, thanks for your encouragement with my friend. I needed it, I gotta say. I'm supposed to be going over her house in a few minutes (she'll probably be calling to find out where the heck I am soon) and I think things are looking up in the respect! Anyway, here's the next chapter!

RebelRikki- Thank you for your comments! A lot of people seemed to like the brain freeze, I'm so glad! Also, keep your eyes out for more R/S fluff in the future… Mwaha! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

MirandaOtto- Thanks for reading! Awesome, the faith is alive! Yes, Slade is very demanding, he wants everything to be just right! And I'm not even sure if that many fit on a cone… I picked a number at random. Someday, I'll do an experiment. Also, while watching Betrayal, I threw my sandal at the TV as they were about to kiss… grrr… and they didn't! Haha, it was a good thing it was one of my cheap sandals… it hit dead on. Also, thanks for the compliments, they are much appreciated! I hope you like this next chapter!

Rainin Men 89- Man, watch out for those mailboxes! They can be vicious! Also, thanks for reviewing! Have you figured out how to update your stories? If you need any help, you know how to reach me, hehe! Anyway, have more sugar, it is hilarious to read what you write when you have sugar in your system! Also, I hope you like this next chapter!

Anyway, onto the story! _marches off_

-----

Chapter 5: Catch That Squirrel!

Robin had been brushing his teeth in the bathroom as he heard Cyborg yell. He had leaned his head far into the sink so as to suck the water into his mouth directly from the spigot, so when Cyborg shouted, Robin jerked his head up and cracked it on the faucet. Nursing his bruised head, where a lump began to grow, he charged back down the hall, light blue toothpaste foam dribbling everywhere.

Beast Boy had begun to get undressed, alone in his dark room. In his haste to reach his friend in trouble, he forgot his shirt, and knocked over his only lamp, causing him to curse under his breath. But he still ran down the hall, clad in only his uniform pants. (A/N: OK, no idea if his uniform is a separate thing or what. But for the sake of my story, it is!)

Starfire was preparing for a shower, once Robin had finished using the bathroom. She showered at least twice a day, a habit which confused her teammates to no end. Normally, they didn't care, but the water bill was often a high one, and Starfire liked to take leisurely showers. They would always tell her she didn't need to, once was enough, but she would always retort back that it was tradition on her home planet. After a while, everyone else gave up, and let her bathe as frequently as she saw fit, and she continued to rack up the bill. As she heard her teammate call out from the kitchen, she immediately flew out of her room, her bathrobe tied tightly around her.

Raven got lucky, and wasn't in the middle of anything too Important when Cyborg hollered down the hall. She dropped the two books she had been deliberating between for some nighttime reading, and zoomed down the hall, hoping she would still find her friend in once piece once she reached her destination.

When the rest of the Titans burst into the room, they found the cybernetic teen on the floor, having fallen flat on his rear. His look of terror caused the team to do a quick scan of the room. Finding nothing out of order, they turned back to their panic-stricken friend.

"What troubles you, Cyborg?" Starfire asked, securing the knot of her robe a little more, just in case.

"Open the cabinet and find out!" he stammered.

Robin moved forward an cautiously pulled back the small door. He crouched down for a better look.

"_That's _what you're afraid of? You've gotta be kidding me!" Robin laughed through a mouthful of froth and toothbrush, as he open the door wider, to reveal a tiny squirrel, its beady eyes darting back and forth, looking for an exit.

"It's a rodent," stated Raven, matter-of-factly.

"It is adorable!" gushed Starfire.

"There's about a hundred of them living in the park," Raven mumbled.

"Not like this one." Apparently, Cyborg had heard her. "This one…" he said, nodding his head. "This one's pure evil."

"You're paranoid," confirmed Robin thickly, nearly dropping the toothbrush from his jaws. "This little guy isn't going to anything-"

But he was abruptly cut short as the squirrel, finally settling on desperate measures, scrambled up Robin, clawing at his chest and face in a daring escape attempt. Robin yelled in anguish, spraying the squirrel with foam, with seemed to agitate it even more. The creature tore up Robin's shoulders, whipping his tail against his face.

Robin held this face in his hands, groaning. The squirrel flung itself wide of the teens, squeaking as it did. Starfire, who had completely forgotten what she was wearing, knelt beside her fallen friend.

"Robin, are you damaged?" she asked anxiously. Robin tore his hands from his face, a look of pure hatred etched on.

"Get… that… squirrel!" he cried. The Titans immediately jumped into action.

The rodent in question was leaping around, bouncing off the chairs, screeching madly. It began to race down the hallways at lightning speed. Raven was in the lead, and reached out with her magic to trap the creature. She succeeded in catching it, and brought it to her hands. The squirrel stared at her for a minute before sinking its teeth into her flesh.

Raven dropped the animal in pain and surprise. She shook her hand furiously, trying to get rid of the sting. On closer inspection, she saw the wretched thing had broken the skin. She wiped the tiny bit of blood that had formed, and growled, "That thing better not have rabies…"

Cyborg was the next to reach the crazed creature. Angered that the tiny thing had so easily frightened him, he lunged and grabbed at the squirrel, flailing his arms. The squirrel squeaked in terror as Cyborg tried to seize it. Its miniscule nails scratched its captor, and it inadvertently tore at a wire. Sparks flew, throwing the squirrel into even more of a panic. The poor thing's heart was racing at a terrible speed, and it was a miracle it hadn't spontaneously combusted, let alone have a heart attack.

"No!" cried the largest teen as he felt himself injured by the rodent. He flung the squirrel off him, then swiveled to inspect the damage. It was nothing serious, but it would still require a bit of work. Cyborg growled deep in his throat, growing even more furious.

Robin and Starfire were gaining on the squirrel, Starfire clutching at the hem of her robes. As the animal rounded the corner, Starfire tripped over Robin's foot, sending her sprawling. In an attempt not to tread on her, Robin tried to lift up his feet, which only resulted in him losing his own balance, and toppling onto his fallen teammate. With a grunt from both of them, they created an unceremonious 'x' in a heap.

"Sorry Star," Robin said, the wind knocked out of him.

"It is fine! Do not trouble yourself. But, um… would you please turn around while I proceed to get up?"

"Yeah, sorry," he apologized again. He lifted himself off the ground, then obediently turned, allowing Starfire to regain her footing, as well as adjust her bathrobe so it hung where it was supposed to.

"Thank you!" she said happily, and Robin turned back around. Their eyes locked. Robin suddenly felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him yet again. He had never realized before just how perfect Starfire's eyes were. A pair of shimmering emeralds gazed back at him, entrancing him.

Starfire stared longingly at the Boy Wonder's mask. She yearned to see what was concealed behind the thin white cloth. It made her sad to think that the mask was clear looking out, so the wearer could always watch what was going on around him, but to the rest of the world looking in, the mask was an opaque shield, keeping the true person within, sheltered, but hidden.

A loud roar from Cyborg resuming the chase echoing through the halls brought them both crashing down to earth, where currently their team was terrorizing a squirrel. Robin watched as Cyborg came hurtling down the hall, then joined him chasing the animal, with Starfire flying above, and Beast Boy bringing up the rear.

Raven suddenly stepped out of the shadows ahead, hoping to catch the squirrel off guard, but she was too slow, and it was already off, down the hall, and around another corner. The dark Titan had to press herself against the wall to avoid being run over. She watched as Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg whizzed by her, but reached out and grabbed Beast Boy by the arm.

"You can turn into any animal, right?" Beast Boy turned to her, looking at her with a questioning glance. He then turned his gaze down to his bare arm, where Raven still had her hand. She followed his gaze, then released him.

"Um, yeah?" Beast Boy, said with a bit of indignation. Was she questioning his ability?

"Then why don't you become a squirrel and _tell_ the little piece of slime to leave?" Beast Boy cocked his head at Raven, but she continued. "There has to be some way! Just tell it this is your territory, or something! Just get that thing out of here!" Beast Boy nodded slightly, beginning to see the potential of the plan. Raven raised an eyebrow. "And where is your shirt?"

Beast Boy found himself at a total loss for words. He lifted a hand and scratched the back of his head. Raven just gave him a weird look, then sped on down the hall.

Beast Boy tried to fight the blush creeping up his neck, but then changed into a green squirrel. It was a good thing squirrels couldn't blush. Raven began running down the corridor again, and the now-morphed Beast Boy jumped onto the hem of her cloak, climbing up to sit comfortably in her hood. They soon caught up with the rest of the team.

The squirrel was back in view, barreling down the hall with five teenagers close behind. It was now apparent where it was headed.

"That's _my_ room," cried Raven furiously.

Dark tendrils sprang from her hands and yet again wrapped around the squirrel, just as it was about to dive into the open doorway of Raven's room. In her hurry to get to the kitchen earlier, she had forgotten to close her door.

The squirrel yelped and squirmed, trying desperately to be free of the tight grip Raven's power held on it. It thrashed against the energy, holding it down.

Suddenly, it froze, its nose high in the air, dilating. It seemed to have picked up Beast Boy's scent. The green squirrel leaped and landed lightly on the floor.

With a sudden ferocity, the squirrel broke free from Raven's grip a second time. It launched itself at the other animal on the floor with such force, it sent Beast Boy rolling. The creature continued its onslaught until Beast Boy, panting, resumed human form. The squirrel then dashed down the hall again, with Cyborg in hot pursuit.

"We've got a score to settle, little man!" his teammates heard him cry.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked through a mouthful of froth, looking down at Beast Boy. The green Titan shook his head.

"That was definitely a fight for territory. But there's something off about it… I think that squirrel has a mental problem."

"What does that mean?" asked Raven, with a hint of apprehension in her voice. "Should I be worried it broke the skin?" she asked, holding up her hand to emphasize her point. Again, Beast Boy shook his head.

"No, just rinse it and make sure it's clean. You'll be fine. I think we should just forget about the squirrel anyway. If we throw it back out in the park or something, I don't know if it'll survive."

"Is that why it came here in the first place?" asked Starfire thoughtfully.

"Probably," answered Beast Boy.

Robin opened his mouth to speak again, forgetting he still had his toothbrush between his teeth. It nearly fell, so he held up his hand, and ran down the hall. He returned shortly afterwards, finally done brushing his teeth.

"Alright, ignore the squirrel for now. We have more important things to do. Get a good night's sleep. We're heading to the museum tomorrow."

"You mean we're actually going to help that creep?" asked Raven, narrowing her eyes.

Beast Boy stood up, brushing himself off. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Robin sighed. "I don't know. But we have absolutely no evidence that he's a criminal at all." He clenched his fist. "I know I've heard his name before, I just can't remember where…"

"Are you saying you trust him?" Raven queried. Robin looked straight at her. He knew she was an excellent judge of character. It was this very trait that had cause him to always be a bit wary around her, especially when it just been the two of them. He really didn't want to hear her say what kind of personality he had. But she offered no opinion, and he never asked. Eventually, he eased up, and had forgotten about worrying. (A/N: I heard somewhere that Robin and Raven founded the Teen Titans, then Beast Boy joined, the Cyborg, then finally Starfire. I have no idea if that's right, but that's what I'm going by. If you know otherwise, please tell me, I'd love to hear!)

"No, I don't."

"You know…" said Beast Boy. Everyone turned to him. "Maybe we should have Cy check out this machine before we hand over the crystal. Have him make sure that it really is going to be used to help people. If it looks like that's what it does, we can give it to him. If not, then we just bring it back."

His teammates stared at him.

Robin let a small smile creep across his features. "Now that is good idea. We've got a plan. Tomorrow, we'll pick up the crystal, and then see what this Stalwart guy's deal is. For now, everyone get some sleep." He began to head down the hall towards his room, with Starfire trailing after. Since this had all taken place right outside Raven's room, she didn't have to go anywhere, but she was still just standing there, at a loss for words.

Beast Boy waved a hand in front of her face. "You… had a good… idea…" she murmured. "The end of the world… is coming…"

"Hey, that's not nice!" Beast Boy said playfully. Raven turned to stare at him.

"_Where_ did you come up with that?" she asked, hands on her hips. Beast Boy merely grinned. He held up his arms and flexed his muscles, looking exactly like some male model, without the shirt and all. Well, male models weren't usually green. He then bowed low, and walked off down the hall, leaving Raven flushed and dumbstruck, shaking her head.

Robin turned around to notice Starfire being unusually quiet. She hadn't said a word during their discussions of Stalwart, and was now walking, head down. Robin stopped outside her room.

"Something wrong?" he asked. Starfire looked up, her eyes full of worry.

"I do not like the man named Stalwart. I do not trust him."

"Don't worry about it. He's nothing we can't handle," Robin said quietly, in what he hoped was a reassuring voice.

A tiny smile fluttered across her face briefly, and with a quiet "Goodnight," she turned and entered her room. Beast Boy walked by at that very moment, and raised an eyebrow at their leader, smirking.

"Don't even start," warned Robin. Beast Boy laughed, then continued down the hall. Robin stood outside her door for a few more minutes, then finally headed to his room.

As Raven got ready for the night, she emptied her pockets and found the green feather she had shoved in there earlier. It was slightly crumpled. A bit flustered, she held it above the garbage can, but couldn't bring herself to let it go. Finally, she reached under her nightstand to where a thin black book lay hidden. She opened it, and flipped through a few pages until she found the one she wanted. She carefully placed the feather in, and shut the book gently, so as not to mess up the feather any more. She put the book back in its hiding place, and continued to get ready for bed.

And so, the four Titans lay in bed awake for some time, each entertaining their own thoughts, with the sounds of Cyborg still crashing around, trying to catch the squirrel, to put them to sleep.

-----

Author's Notes: Alrighty, a few things to say.

1. I looked on the episode guide for Teen Titans, part of the Cartoon Network website. It has summaries of, I believe, seasons 1, 2, and 3. I didn't want to reveal anything to myself, so I held a scrap of paper to read the titles only. The third one of season 3 was named "Betrothed," which really caught my attention. I read only the first line, and apparently, it has something to do with Starfire's home planet and them visiting it, or what have you. However, it sounds like it may have something to do with Starfire being betrothed to someone there, which, when I saw, went, "CRAP!" I have a story that I plan to write about the very same thing. I'm not sure if I can get it out in time before it, 'cause I'd like to so it could stand before… aw, I'm making no sense. But anyway, I've definitely seen stories where Starfire is engaged to someone on her home planet, so I wanted to give it a try, with my own twist. So I'm just saying to the world, "I HAD THE IDEA BEFORE, I'M NOT COPYING YOUR EPISODE! AHH!" _cough_ Let's move on then.

2. I was recently playing Final Fantasy X-2 (which I just beat… WOO! But I still have yet to obtain the Perfect Ending… so I'm playing again!) Anyway, I was in a fight when I realized what I was fighting was called a Stalwart. Somehow, I totally didn't remember where I got the name, I just remembered the name itself. So that is the origin of the name, in case anyone was wondering. Which I doubt, but oh well, it was a surprise for me!

3. I need your help! For my next story, (no spoilers!) I need phrases with anything to do with dogs. "Every Dog Has His Day" is obviously taken, and the story's name will be "Puppy Love," but I still need all sorts of phrases about dogs! The story will be mostly BB/R, with some R/S. There will be a summary of it at the end of this story, but I'd like to get a bit of a jump start on it, and need your help thinking of these different phrases… so, if you would, please help me out and tell me some in a review!


	6. Metro Art Museum

Author's Notes: OK, did everyone see "Aftershock pt II?" Good, good. Terra is gone, and, from what I've heard, for good. (I read that on an artist's comments thing, saying that Marv Wolfman has commented Terra won't be returning. Also, the artist to which I am referring is, like, God. Sadly, I do not belong to deviantart, but if I did...)

Anyway, I'm **SO** sorry for the bit of a wait for this chapter. Life kind of caught up to me all at once. But, in a good way. Unfortunately, school starts the 30th. However, KEY WORD, however, that doesn't mean I won't be able to update. I have a study hall, and I am not doing fall sports (no matter how much I whined at my father... curses). That means homework gets done quickly, and all I have to do is make sure that it's done, and I'm free to do as I please! Meaning write. Or draw. Or listen to music. Or walk the dog.

Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to Flufferpuf/Rainin Men 89/my wonderful cousin! She has been a great help to me writing-wise, by encouraging me to get off my lazy butt and post this thing already. I highly recommend her Yu Yu Hakusho story. I don't think it lets you put in links... oh well, her name is Rainin Men 89, and she's an excellent writer, if you ask me!

OK, enough of my blabbering, let's get to those reviews!

Oh, wait, I would like to apologize to soraoathkeeper and Hawkgirl. I did not receive your reviews in my e-mail, for some reason, and noticed them after I went to check the reviews on the actual website 'cause my brother wanted to see. I am really sorry that I did not give your reviews credit for being part of that last chapter, and I shall answer them here!

soraoathkeeper- Thanks for reviewing! Again, sorry I didn't put this reply in the last chapter, I don't know why it didn't come through. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the Slade part! He's the most fun to torture, I mean, write about... anyway, I'd love to join the R&B Shippers United! That would be so awesome! What's the exact website? Anyway, I hope you like this next chapter!

Hawkgirl- Thank you for reading! Sorry about this reply being late, stupid e-mail... anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

ScarletAngel68- Thank you for reviewing! Yes, shirtless Beast Boy is a very nice sight... I am very tempted to write to the creators and demand it in the show, mwahaha! And yes, the squirrel is a psycho squirrel! I realized Cyborg wouldn't have anything important to do in the story, since he is not part of any pairing... so I gave him a squirrel to attack. Also, your rabies idea was awesome! Why didn't I think of that? Curses! Anyway, I hope to get the other story up, but I don't think I will, so you're right, I shouldn't worry. Also, thanks so much for all the dog sayings! I had a total brain block when it came to thinking of them, and the website you gave me has so many sayings! Thanks a bunch! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!

starrobin4eva- Thanks for reviewing! Thanks for your dog phrases, even if you couldn't think of them! I had forgotten about Scooby... he is my hero... how could I? Oh well, hehe, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

RebelRikki- Thanks for your comments! Also thank you for the doggy sayings! I really like the last one, and I'll put the proper disclaimer! Yes, you're right, the last chapter didn't have much plot. Hehe, I felt poor Cyborg wasn't getting enough to do, so I gave him a squirrel to chase! Anyway, I hope you like this next chapter!

Starxfire- Thank you for reading! I'm glad it made you laugh! Hehe, no goodnight hug... yet! I have big plans for my pawns... I mean, characters. Anyway, good moods can be hard to come by, hehe, enjoy! But you found my title for the next story! Stop reading my mind, hehe! I like your idea a lot, and Beast Boy will annoy Raven to no end, but there's one secret that I shall keep until the time is right... hehe, anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Slayergirl1362- Thank you for your comments! I'm so glad you like it! And yes, feel the power of R/BB! _waves R/BB flag with pride_ Anyway, I hope you like this next chapter!

darkmonkey- Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, that episode sounds awesome, I bet Robin would insanely jealous! If they continue to air the new episodes at the one week intervals, then it should be shown on September 11th! Dun dun dun... anyway, I hope you like this chapter!

SushiChica- Thanks for your comments! I'm really glad you like it! Yes, I burst out laughing sometimes at some of the stories I read... I think my parents think I cracked my skull open... then I try to show them and they're like, "What?" Oh well. Anyway, thanks for you compliments, they warmed my heart! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Me262- Thank you for reading! Also, thank you for your dog sayings, I've gotten so much help with them! Mwahaha, the squirrel might be the most evil villain yet! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!

Roxeant- Thanks so much for your comments! I'm really glad you like it! Those modesty police...always get you in the end, yup, hehe. Anyway, I'm happy you're enjoying Slade, he is my favorite! (If I'm allowed to say I enjoy a part of my own story... _shifty eyes_) Anyway, your idea for Slade is awesome! I do believe I shall be using it! Thanks for the idea, and I hope you like this next chapter!

Also, I can't seem to get the little dashes to work... don't know why... so I'm trying lots of different things, and hopefully soon the shall be returned to normal!

* * *

Chapter 6: Metro Art Museum

The next morning, Raven rose bright and early. She always liked to get up before the others so she could prepare her herbal tea in peace, and maybe sneak in a light breakfast before being forced to choke down some tofu thing Beast Boy always was trying to make her eat. But as she entered the kitchen area, she saw Cyborg, crouched low, brandishing a plate smeared with peanut butter. He wore a pot on his head, and he had a mad glint in his eye.

"I'm not even gonna ask," Raven dismissed him, and got to work boiling water.

"Here Mr. Squirrel," whispered Cyborg, crawling on his hands and knees, pushing the plate while he went. "Come out, come out, wherever you are..."

The door behind him opened with a hiss, and he leapt up, whipping out a spoon and hurling a chuck of peanut butter at his attacker.

Beast Boy stood there with a large mess on his cheek. He wiped it off, then went over to the sink to wash away the remains.

"You're up early," commented Raven. Beast Boy looked up.

"Well, I wanted to give my new tofu recipe a try!" he replied excitedly. Raven inwardly grimaced. It looked like Cyborg was in no condition to cook (or let alone be trusted with a kitchen utensil) so Beast Boy would have free rein in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Robin was in the bathroom, preparing for his shower. He turned on the water, and stepped into the steam. He stood and glared at the wall for a few minutes, all the while thinking about Stalwart.

'I know I've heard that name before... but where?' He sighed, and tried to relax, tried to let the hot water rinse away all of the dark thoughts or foreboding. He was finally starting to loosen up when the door opened, letting a blast of cold air in.

Starfire had entered the bathroom, fumbling around in the drawers under the sink. Robin waited with bated breath, wanting to see what she would do when she realized her mistake. Oddly enough, she didn't even seem to realize that the shower was running, let alone that someone might be using it. Robin took a chance, and peered out around the edge of the curtain. Starfire was mumbling under her breath, looking for something.

She grinned as she found her prize. Holding it up, Robin could see it was a little black pencil. 'What?' he thought. But as he knitted his brow in confusion, Starfire turned to the mirror, and uncapped the pencil. She began to carefully draw on her lower lid, making a tiny dark line. She then wiped away a good deal of it so it looked as if it were barely there. 'It's one of those eyeliner things.' But what concerned Robin more was the look of Starfire's face. Before applying the make-up, she had looked extremely tired, very weary. Probably from lack of sleep. Robin knew her loss of sleep had something to do with their new mission from Stalwart.

'I'll make it up to her,' he thought, as she left the bathroom, still completely oblivious. 'Sooner or later.'

When Robin had finally finished in the shower, he dressed, then joined his teammates for breakfast. Beast Boy was almost done with his newest concoction, Starfire seemed to have perked up slightly, Raven was watching Beast Boy with a look of apprehension and fear of his newest tofu horror, and Cyborg was jumpy. He normal eye seemed to be twitching slightly, and his hands gripped his fork and knife strangely tightly.

"Are you OK? And why is there a bucket on your head?" asked Robin, as he sat down next to Starfire.

"I'll get him..." muttered Cyborg.

Robin shook his head, then turned his gaze towards the red-head next to him. Starfire glanced up at him, and he gave her a small, reassuring smile. Beet red, Starfire looked down quickly, and cursed the blood rushing to her face.

"Here we go!" cried Beast Boy proudly, as he slammed down the tofu. His teammates all swallowed hard at the thought of choking down some of it. No matter what he did to it, Beast Boy's tofu was still white, mushy crap.

"Who's going first?" Beast Boy asked. No one volunteered.

Beast Boy's face fell a little. He had worked hard on the breakfast, and he really didn't want to eat the whole thing by himself.

Raven watched as Beast Boy stood, looking a little dejected. She sighed, and leaned over, piling the tofu up on her plate. After carefully inspecting it, she ate a little at a time. Everyone watched her, dumbfounded.

"Um..." Beast Boy began, but Raven held up a hand, cutting him short.

"You only live once," she said knowingly. This seemed good enough for everyone else, and soon the team was all chewing happily, with Beast Boy beaming every once and a while at Raven.

After the breakfast dishes were clean, Robin gathered everyone around him. "We're heading down to the museum today. We'll get that stupid crystal, then forget about it." He tried hard not look Starfire in the eye, but he couldn't help it, and the guilty feeling in his gut grew uncomfortably.

"Can we take the car?" asked Cyborg.

"Sure."

"Sweet! Pile in everybody, we're are going for a ride!" Cyborg's energy seemed to return to him. He quickly ushered them towards the elevator. "Oh, before I forget..." he ran back to where his dish of peanut butter lay. It was a miracle no one had slipped. He practically threw it in the sink to wash later, and then crammed everyone into the elevator.

Titans Tower had been built by some of the best construction men of all time. It had been designed by some of the greatest architects out there. Ever single room had intricate security codes, and defensive systems. When Cyborg had joined the team, he had found every single one of them and updated them, making them stronger. He didn't need to work on the interior design. Everything that they could possibly need had been taken care of. However, the architects hadn't known that someone quite as large as Cyborg would be using the elevator, so it was always a bit of a tight fit for him, and it was torture for all five of them.

"Can't... breathe..." Robin gasped, his face pressed against Cyborg's arm. He really hoped he wouldn't accidentally press a button, and get them all blown up.

"Your elbow is very sharp, Robin!"

"Sorry, Star."

Beast Boy tried to say something, but his voice was muffled. "What'd he say?" grunted Cyborg.

Raven pushed him away, her face bright red. Beast Boy's was equally as red.

"We should have taken turns," Beast Boy said.

"Agreed!" Starfire chirped.

"Would you please move?" murmured Raven. Beast Boy's head was hooked over her shoulder, his hot breath on her neck. To an outsider, it looked like a very intimate act.

"I would if I could," he said. However, out of Raven's sight, he grinned. He knew it was a lie.

Finally they reached the bottom level, and they all burst out of the elevator. Cyborg grinned happily, twirling the keys on his index finger. Robin just shook his head again, and opened the passenger door. The rest of the team piled into the back.

Cyborg loved cruising around town in his car. He didn't even want to think about how many times his car had been trashed. Every single villain seemed to know how much he liked that car, and attacked it with vicious force. Raven had helped rebuild it the first time, and the time after that, everyone helped. Beast Boy would often offer assistance on the little things, like dings and scrapes. But all the same, no one could deny that the car was Cyborg's. And he flaunted it everywhere he went.

"Hey, look at the ladies!" he said happily, as they pulled into an open parking spot. Raven rolled her eyes, as Beast Boy leaned across her to get a better look. Three girls were walking along the sidewalk out side the museum, wearing extremely tight jeans, and tiny tops, leaving nothing to the imagination.

"Are those the 'ladies' of which you speak?" queried Starfire, pointing out the window. The women she was referring to couldn't have been younger than sixty. They were wearing little badges on their sweaters, indicating that they worked at the museum that was their destination.

"Eugh!" cried Cyborg, recoiling. Robin laughed.

The Titans quickly got out of the car, walking down the stone path to reach the entrance. The security guard smiled in recognition, and let them pass. As they walked up to the front desk, Starfire noticed a lot of the people staring at them. It was a bit unnerving at times, but Starfire had quickly gotten used to it. On her home planet, she had had to get used a lot of attention, but the people on Earth were a bit more open with their stares.

Robin slipped out a wallet as he approached the man behind the desk. He looked like a college student, trying to make enough to pay for his apartment. The guy shook his hair out of his eyes and concentrated on the teen heroes in front of him.

"Five adult tickets," Robin said, slapping the bills down on the counter. The cashier blinked, faltering for a minute, then took the money and began typing into the cash register. Robin stole a glance back at Starfire, and saw her and Raven eyeing the guy. Suppressing a growl of jealousy, he grabbed the museum passes a bit forcefully, and stalked off.

The Titans made their way into the heart of the museum, and paused outside the elevator. Robin inspected the large map next to it. It depicted each floor with the main exhibits outlined in different colors. While Robin tried to find the crystal, Starfire was beginning to realize the amazing pieces of art surrounding her.

She ambled over a painting set on the wall, one that didn't really have an entire group it belonged to, so it was set out in front. The painting was of a woman, who looked to be in her early twenties, reaching for the sky, tears streaking down her face. She was dirty, and wore rags. The only light in the picture came from the sky, where a well-muscled arm reached back down to her, although it appeared to be moving away, whether it wanted to or not.

"Deep, huh?" asked a voice right next to Starfire. She jumped, then turned to face Raven, who had materialized there seemingly out of nowhere.

"Yes, this painting is truly moving... but I do not understand it. Why is there an arm floating in the clouds?"

"It's supposed to show her lover is dead," explained Raven. "She's trying to grab him before he can leave her, but she won't make it."

"Why not?" asked Starfire sadly. Raven shrugged.

"He's dead. No matter how much she wants him to come back, he won't."

Starfire turned back to the painting, then stole a glance at Robin. "It's a scary thought," she whispered, more to herself than Raven. At that moment, Robin pointed to something on the map with a cry of triumph.

"Found it!" he said. "At least, I think so. See, 'Rare and Foreign Jewels.' It's our best possibility."

Robin turned to enter the elevator, but remembering their last experience with it, he decided against it, and continued on to use the stairs. The rest of the Titans trailed after him, Starfire lingering. She really wanted to look at the painting some more, but knew she had to go. With a final glance, she followed her teammates up the stairs.

As they reached the third floor, the Teen Titans immediately saw the trinkets that made up the gallery. Some were absolutely huge, glittering at them from behind their glass cases. Some were miniscule, with tiny, intricate designs carved right into them by ancient civilizations. Every single jewel was different, and for a split second, they were all in awe of what they saw. However, they quickly regained their footing, and began to look for the Sangrian Crystal. (A/N: Am I the only one who walks into those jewel displays and gets mesmerized? Seriously, all the glitter... shiny stuff is cool... and expensive... mwahaha!)

"I think this is what we're looking for," Beast Boy said. The other Titans gathered around him. He was peering into a case that held a giant crystal. It was blood red, opaque, and tapered at one end. A tiny card inside read "Sangrian Crystal. Not much is known of it, but it was discovered in the jungles of South America. Believed to have been the possession of an ancient Native American king, it's creator is unknown. Discovered 1921."

"That's the one we want," Robin said. He looked around, and finally his gaze fell upon a security guard.

"Excuse me, we would like to find out if we can take that crystal over there. We have reason to believe it can be used to help people," Robin said approaching the guard and pointing behind him. The sentry looked down, surprised at being addressed, and by a Teen Titan no less, nodded rapidly.

"Of course," he stammered out. "I'll get the museum curator right away. He's just finishing with a meeting. I'll be right back. You guys wait here. I'll be right back." With that, he scurried off.

"Might as well take a look around. Stay on this floor," suggested Robin, and the team ambled off in their own directions.

Raven was looking at some of the smaller jewels. It fascinated her that people had actually been able to carve something into them and make it last a lifetime. Especially being crafted in ancient times, how little technology they had.

Cyborg had spotted his prey. Two girls were leaned against the wall, at the far end of the hallway, talking animatedly. They looked to be about his age. He came up, and propped himself up on his hand, looking down at them. They stared up at him and smiled.

"Cyborg, right?" asked the smaller of the two.

"Yup. Glad to know I have fans out there," he said cheekily. They giggled.

"You have no idea," the taller one said, sharing a knowing glance with her friend.

"So are you two sisters?" Cyborg asked.

"Cousins," said the taller one again. "I'm Alanna, and this is Ivy."

Ivy stuck out her hand, and Cyborg shook it. "Nice to meet you."

"So do you two come here often?" he asked nonchalantly. Ivy raised an eyebrow.

"We work here," she said. She and Alanna held their shirts out, and Cyborg could see the little pins with their names on them.

"Oh. But you guys are kind of young, aren't you? Isn't school starting soon?"

"I guess," Alanna said, but she looked a little uncomfortable. She then changed the subject. "So what are you guys doing here?" She waved her hand at Robin and Starfire, who were wandering through the displays, Robin explaining things Starfire didn't understand. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, a welcome change to Starfire's depression earlier.

"We're here to collect the Sangrian Crystal for some nut job living under the streets. He says he'll pay us well if we get it for him, but we're not doing it for that. He claims that he's invented some kind of machine that'll help cure people of health problems, or something like that."

Ivy narrowed her eyes. "Then why does he need the crystal?"

Cyborg raised an eyebrow at her this time. 'She's smarter than I thought... sweet! You don't see many hot girls with brains nowadays.' Out loud, he said, "Good question. He says the sun's rays through the crystal will be a high powered reaction... thing... and that will be what keeps the machine going." Both girls looked uneasily at each other. "What?" asked Cyborg.

"Well, did you read the card in the case? The one describing the crystal?"

"Yeah," he answered slowly, not seeing where it was going.

"Well, that's all we know about the crystal," said Alanna. When Cyborg turned his surprised gaze towards her, she continued. "Yeah, see, the museum doesn't know anything about it really. It was donated a few years back by the children of the man who discovered it. He found it in a ruined temple, in some old statue's hand. He researched the place as best he could, but he never found out why the crystal was there, or why it was so important. Eventually, he gave up trying to find out, and kind of let the mystery rest. He figured he might never uncover its secrets."

"Which makes you wonder... how does the guy you're helping know about the crystal, let alone know how to use it? Where did he come up with that idea?" Ivy asked.

Cyborg thought for a minute. "Wow... you guys are right."

"Hey!" Alanna cried, making Ivy jump. "We'll help you! The museum knows some of the people who worked in that particular temple, and we can talk to them for you! Please let us help!" The two girls turned to Cyborg, trying to make their eyes as big as possible.

"On one condition," Cyborg said.

"What is it?" asked Ivy.

Cyborg held out his hand. "Gimme your numbers!" Laughing, Alanna pulled out a pad of paper from her back pocket, and the two girls began to scribble furiously on it, giving everything from cell phone numbers to e-mail addresses.

Meanwhile, Robin and Starfire were still meandering through the galleries, taking their time to enjoy the art. Starfire seemed most interested in all the paintings with love scenes, and although they made Robin a little bit uncomfortable, (mostly because all their faces seemed to turn into his and Starfire's) he was happy just to spend time with her. She seemed to be enjoying herself too.

"So this man is a king?" she asked, gazing up at a slightly overweight man in the painting.

"Yeah, King Henry the Eighth. He was known for having many wives, then beheading them."

"That sounds awful!" Starfire said, tearing her eyes away from the painting to stare at Robin in horror.

"Yeah, well, England was a very rough place in those times. A wife's job was pretty much solely to provide an heir for her husband. This guy's first wife bore him only one daughter, and so he wanted to divorce her and marry someone else, someone who could give him a son. The woman he wanted to marry was named Anne Boelyn. Some people say she was a witch. So when King Henry broke away from the church and created his own, he was able to divorce his first wife. He married Anne, but she got unlucky, and only gave him one daughter as well. He was so mad, he ordered her head to be chopped off."

"The monarchy on my planet can be very rough at times too," Starfire said knowingly. "Although, I don't think it was ever quite that rough. If so, it has long since been hidden."

Robin nodded in understanding. He gazed at Starfire, who was still staring up at the picture. Her eyes seemed to hold knowledge beyond the ages, and also sympathy, for the woman who stood behind the king. Robin realized he was staring, but at that point, he didn't care. She was too beautiful... he couldn't tear his eyes away. He felt a weird, warm feeling, right in his chest. At that moment, all he wanted was to be able to wrap his arms around her. He moved closer, his breath getting a little shallow-

"Dude!" cried Beast Boy, whipping around the corner and startling his teammates. Robin shot him a death glare, but the green Titan didn't seem to notice. "Have you guys _seen_ the freaky pictures here?"

"No. Why don't you go bother somebody else?" Robin snarled. But Beast Boy only grinned wider.

"Fine, I'm gone!" he said as he sauntered off. Robin continued to gnash his teeth. Beast Boy had completely ruined the moment!

At that moment, the Titan in question had been strolling through the partitioned galleries. He was walking slowly, soaking it all in, when he noticed something very strange at the end of the hall.

Slade was standing off to the side, his hand propping up his chin. His intent gaze was fixed straight ahead of him, and he was nodding appreciatively at what he saw before him. He let out the occasional, "Mm-hmm," nodding as he did.

Slade felt a tap on his shoulder, and he turned to face on older woman, who apparently worked at the museum. "Um, excuse me sir... may I ask you something?"

Slade raised his arms high above his head. "You may ask me anything. I know everything."

"Um... yeah, well sir, um, why are you staring that wall?"

Again, Slade turned to face the wall. He was standing between two large paintings, each on either side of him, but he only had eyes for the blank wall.

"Isn't it fascinating?" he asked exuberantly. "It is the most breath-taking, mystifying piece of art I have ever seen!" His one visible eye shone with passion.

"But it's only a wall," the woman said, confused.

"It is absolutely moving!" cried Slade. "Don't you see it? It is beyond description! It is everything, and yet it is nothing! It is calm, and yet it is chaos! Can't you see the pure, artistic talent that has been brought to light here? I must find the master who created this piece of utter beauty! Who is it?" he asked excitedly.

"You want me to tell you the name of the carpenter?"

Beast Boy hadn't been close enough to hear what was being said, but he was positive it was Slade. He quickly ran back to find the others.

"Guys!" he cried, but then something caught his eye. As he turned to look, he saw that it was a painting he hadn't noticed before. It portrayed a young man in the foreground, who looked to be about his age. But what was most strange about it was how similar he looked to Beast Boy. If the man in the painting had been green, they could have been twins. The man was standing, facing the viewer. On the right of the painting was a girl standing behind the man, with long, flowing blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She very closely resembled the late Titan, Terra. The girl in the painting was wearing a light yellow dress, and a small smirk spread across her face as she looked out into the real world. On the other side of the man was another girl, the only one not looking straight ahead. She was farther back than the other two, and she had short, black hair, and deep eyes obscured slightly by a shadow that fell across her features. She had on a deep violet dress, and gazed longingly at the man in front, with sad eyes.

The more Beast Boy continued to stare at the picture, the more the people in it reminded Beast Boy of himself, Terra, and Raven. It was very creepy. He leaned closer, trying to see very clearly the dark girl's eyes. They looked so sad... but she was hidden slightly, making it harder to tell. There may have been something else there...

Beast Boy felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Raven.

"C'mon, the curator's here to see us," she told him.

"Did you see this painting?" asked Beast Boy faintly. Raven shook her head. "Look at it," Beast Boy commanded, but Raven had grabbed his arm and was pulling him away.

"Later, right now we have to talk to this guy."

"Fine..." Beast Boy said, allowing himself to be dragged away. He suddenly remembered something important. "Wait! Slade's here! He's right back there, look!" Raven turned, but Slade was nowhere in sight. She rolled her eyes, and continued to walk forward, pulling a ranting Beast Boy behind her.

"I swear he was there!"

"Right," drawled Raven, and together they faced the rest of the Titans, who were clustered around the case that held the Sangrian Crystal. With them was the same guard who had been so eager to help, and a smaller man, with thick glasses and a nervous smile. He seemed unaccustomed to dealing with teenage heroes.

"So you want the crystal?" the man asked, his fingers twitching slightly. "Of course! Of course you do. Why? No, wait! Never mind! I know it's top-secret, top-secret indeed!" He reached down to the key ring around his neck, and fumbled through his large amount until he found the right one. "Here you go, here you go!" The curator shoved the correct key in on the third attempt, and the Titans heard a faint click as the case unlocked. The skittish man carefully lifted the glass, and handed the top to the guard, who was happy to oblige. The curator then raised the crystal up, and gently handed it to Robin.

"Thanks," said Robin, eyeing the crystal. It was heavier than it looked, and ever more spectacular up close. The curator nodded furiously.

"Our pleasure, always glad to help, yes, of course, always glad to help!"

Robin turned to his teammates. "I guess, we should get this over to Stalwart and get it over with."

(_Insert scene-change dashes here_)

Slade was walking along the empty corridors, enraptured by the blank walls the museum had yet to occupy with their paintings. "So beautiful," he murmured. He had to lift his mask slightly to wipe away a tear. "It is truly magnificent."

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, that's that chapter! I am planning on getting the next one out very soon, hopefully before school starts again, but if not, then Monday evening or something. Anyway, I hope this chapter was funny... my sense of humor is very, very odd, I know... but the next chapter is going to be very funny, I promise you this!

Also, on a side note, I am posting a one-shot as I update this. It's called "Dark Forest" for lack of better title. It's R/S R/BB (what else would I write?) and it's _supposed_ to be scary. I don't know if I'll achieve that, but I tried. Anyway, if anyone has the time, please read it and tell me what you think, and if anyone has some suggestions on how to write scarier, please tell me! I think I could really use the help... anyway, the garbage men are here to abduct me... I must go battle them! _runs off with Vacuum of Doom_ Please review!


	7. Truth or Dare

Author's Notes: If you guys don't shoot me, I will. HOW LATE AM I!?! Augh, I am so sorry! I missed my date by I don't want to know how much... _beats self with stick _I think I'm going to CRY, I've been so lax with updating...

Anyway, yes, it was school and homework and crap that kept me busy, as well as my friend having a crisis or two. Or a lot. And all my other friends keep calling me... I just want to say, "Leave me alone, I want to wriiiiiiiite..." But yeah. If anyone is really interested in what I have been doing, you can head over to my homepage, which is my Caleida journal. But anyway, I would like to thank everyone for being so patient! I hope you don't eat me! That happens a lot...

On a side note, I've gotten a lot of positive reviews for "Dark Forest." I'm glad that everyone seems to be enjoying it. A few people have asked me to continue it, and this time, I don't think I'll limit it to just being a oneshot, but there is one problem... NO idea what to continue it with. If anyone has any idea for it, I would love to hear it!

Anyway, I hope this chapter makes up for my lack of updating... so here are the review replies, and Chapter 7, ready for a reading!

rising-terminator6- Thanks for reviewing! Sorry for the lack of update, hehe. Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far, and that you like Slade. As I watch the show, my brother and I have long debates over Slade, and we've finally decided he is "the best bad guy ever," which doesn't make much sense. Anyway, I hope you like this next chapter!

Flufferpuf- Thanks for reading! Haha, my Vacuum of Doom will eat you! Hehe, and I don't know if you'll get my last e-mail, so just in case, I have all the stuff you sent me saved away, and I hope to see you at Nana's and Papa's! And I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

warprince2000- Thank you for your comments! I'm glad you are enjoying the story. Hopefully you like this chapter!

Change-Of-Heart2- Thank you for reading! I'm happy that you are enjoying it, and I hope you like this next chapter!

Slayergirl1362- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad it's making you laugh! That's a huge accomplishment for me! Also, thank you for the sweet comments! They gave me a real morale boost! I hope you like this next chapter!

Starxfire- Thanks for your comments! Hehe, hyperness is a good thing, believe me. Hmm, as for being near San Francisco, I am actually on the complete opposite side of the country! Hehe, as you will soon find out, I really loved your name for the squirrel. Hehe, don't worry, I love long reviews! Also, glad you like the Slade bits, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

soraoathkeeper- Thank you for reading! I'm glad you're enjoying Slade! And yeah, I don't know why your review didn't come through earlier... no problem with this one. Oh well, if it happens again, I'll probably report it. Also, thanks for the link! Oh, before I forget, did I mention I love your name? I guess you're a KH fan too? And if you're not, and you made up your name, you are a psychic, and I'm a believer now. Hehe, anyway, hope you like this next chapter!

starrobin4eva- Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you're enjoying it! Hehe, I stare at the blank TV too... and yes, I often wonder who the director is. My favorite channel is definitely 118, which, on my TV, is this squiggly white line. My friend and I turn it on all the time. Hehe, anyway, hopefully you like this next chapter!

Katy- Thank you for reviewing! Hehe, yes, Slade is completely nuts here, for no apparent reason. (Hint: keyword being apparent!) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

ScarletAngel68- Thanks for your comments! There were a lot of them, it was AWESOME! I proclaim you a Review Goddess. _bows_ Anyway, Cyborg has been so much fun to write, and I'm glad people are enjoying it! I hate it when stories don't give him enough credit, and I definitely tried to remedy that here. Sweet, undying adoration! That has boosted my morale through the roof, yay! Hehe, anyway, squee as much as you like, and hopefully you will find more squee moments in the future! Also, your idea for Cyborg going around with the pot on his is GENIUS and that will be showing up sometime in my story. I burst out laughing reading it, and then imagining it! Hehe, I have the little ogling parts because then you can play the jealousy card. Don't worry, I'm extremely obsessive too. Obsessive people unite! Hehe, it's a good thing Cyborg didn't mistake the girls for squirrels. There'd be quite a bit of explaining to do. Wait a minute... _is smacked by the Dead Fish on Inspiration_ Hehe, yes, I love long reviews! Yours is by far the longest. Hehe, I'm glad you're enjoying Slade! In just about every review, people comment on how messed up he is, mwaha! Anyway, I don't know where the idea for the painting came from, but I am glad I put it in. Hehe, I also loved your life story for the guy... poor bloke... he should be given his own TV show! Anyway, this reply has been crazy-long, but I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Kaz- Thank you for reading! I'm glad you like it so far! Hopefully you enjoy this next chapter!

WaterGirl14- Thanks for reviewing! Yup, Slade is mental. Keep an eye on his antics, however, and all shall be revealed! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!

darkmonkey- Thank you for your comments! I'm happy that you're enjoying Slade, and the painting part, which came to me on a whim. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

RobinRox13- Thanks for reading! I see that you reviewed twice, so I'll combine them! I'm glad you enjoyed Chapter 2, that was fun to write! Also, I'm really happy that you enjoy the Slade bits! Hehe, hope you like this next chapter!

MirandaOtto- Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Hehe, I'm also happy to hear you liked the elevator part. Hmm, good luck with getting your internet hooked up and what not. I know how that feels. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

SushiChica- Thanks for your comments! I'm really glad you're finding it funny! Haha, I've done that, laugh out loud and people think I'm nuts. My mom and dad are both like, "Riiight..." Hehe, also, I'm happy to hear you like the Slade bits! I am now referring to all his scenes as the "Slade bits." Anyway, hopefully you enjoy this next chapter!

Also, I'd like to thank Regrem Erutaerc for the idea for this chapter! It was suggested a long time ago, but I've finally been able to incorporate it into the story, hehe. Also, thanks to Roxeant for the idea for Slade! I loved it! So, I am using it! If anyone else had an idea for Slade, I would love to hear it. Also, thanks to Starxfire for making up a name for our fine, furry friend. I wasn't originally going to name the squirrel, but it was too good to pass up! If anyone else has an idea for the squirrel's name, please send it in! I have a plan that could use just about every name I get... BUT ANYWAY, on with the actual story!

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Chapter 7: Truth or Dare

The gloom of Stalwart's hideout was illuminated by the green glow emanating from Starfire's hand. The Titans had located the same place where they had been dropped so rudely from the truck, and had yet again descended. It was lighter outside than it had been on their first visit, but the sun's rays couldn't pierce the darkness of the underground lair.

Robin raised his hand above his head for everyone to see. Everyone turned their gaze towards him. He motioned forward, and they began to make their way silently. They could hear the faint, distant noise of electricity being used dangerously. Robin smirked, hopeful that they could catch Stalwart doing something illegal. But as they entered the main room, they found a group of men in long, white coats, carefully using tiny tools to work on machine in front of them. The Titans recognized Stalwart standing with his back to them, overseeing the scientists' work. One man looked up at them, and Stalwart turned. His face split into a smile.

"You have returned quite promptly! Excellent! I am very pleased to see you took me up on my offer. Do you have what we need?"

Robin tossed a bag to him, and Stalwart caught it with surprising ease. His grin widened.

"Thank you, I truly appreciate-"

"We're not done here," Robin said tersely. He and Cyborg moved forward, looking as intimidating as possible. Again, Robin motioned to his team, and everyone fanned out, blocking the way of anyone trying to leave.

As the entire city knew, the Teen Titans were very selfless, dedicated individuals who were always as kind as possible. They tried to show mercy on the villains they faced, but almost every time, they were forced to take more drastic action. However, no one could deny they were a force to be reckoned with, and if they chose to be, very dangerous looking. This was what the Titans played off of as they surrounded the working scientists, noting their apprehension. Inside, none of them felt very mean, but they needed to know the truth, and they were going to get it.

Stalwart, on the other hand, lost no ground. "What else can I help you with? Your reward?"

"No," was all Robin said. Cyborg stepped towards the table where the large machine was perched. The men in lab coats backed out of his way, and the metallic teen leaned over to inspect the device. He opened a small hatch on the back, and began looking through the machine's interior.

A man approached Starfire. She glared down at him from her point above the ground. She hovered over him as he nervously reached into his pocket and pulled out a notepad. He held it up with a shaking hand.

"M-May I have your autograph for my niece? You are her f-favorite."

Starfire was taken aback, but then reassured the trembling man with a warm smile.

"I would be happy to oblige!" she said jubilantly, as she took the paper from the man, and he reached, quivering, for the pen in his breast pocket. The rest of the men quickly gathered around Starfire, all of them clambering for a signed sheet of paper as well. Beast Boy caught Raven's eye, and they shrugged simultaneously. Starfire was always popular with their male fans. Raven was never jealous, exactly, of that fact, but she had to admit it got a little tiresome every time they signed autographs. Like she wasn't a girl too? But it didn't really matter to her. What did she care if she had a fan club or not?

Robin and Stalwart stood next to each other, both of their eyes on Cyborg, but neither was paying any real attention to him, or what he was doing.

Robin was watching Stalwart from the corner of his eye, trying to see if the older man was at all uncomfortable. He seemed at ease, even casual, as he leaned on his cane, facing the middle of the room. Robin was struck by how young he seemed. Not really an evil genius type. 'But you can never tell these days,' Robin reminded himself.

Stalwart turned to the Boy Wonder beside him. "You are doing a very thorough job here. I'm quite impressed."

"Uh... thanks," offered Robin. "Well, it's our job."

Cyborg glanced over his shoulder to see Robin and Stalwart engaged in conversation. Another sidelong look told him that the scientists were still preoccupied with Starfire's signature. He quickly withdrew a tiny microchip from inside his system. He carefully slipped it into the device on the table. It was so small, it fit neatly into a tiny crevice between two wires. It could be entirely overlooked by even the most complicated scanners. It was a tracking device of Cyborg's own creation. He had used it on other occasions, and it had never let him down.

"Thank you very much!" cried one of the men. Starfire beamed at him.

"I welcome you! I am glad I could give something of value to you!"

The men nodded earnestly. They were all brilliant, hard-working professionals, but each of them was lacking any athletic talent whatsoever, and all of them were in awe of anyone who possessed such skills. Most of them kept up with the Titans activities avidly, and were constantly amazed by their triumphs.

Cyborg straightened, and began checking out the front of the machine. It tapered into a beam at the end, with a notch above it for the jewel to be inserted. Cyborg began checking it methodically. He tried to pick apart the beam, but it didn't seem to do that. However, everything seemed to be in order. He stood up, more than a little surprised.

"Well, this thing is really well made!" he exclaimed, causing the entire room to focus on him. He turned to the group of men, who were still clustered around the Tameranean. "I couldn't find anything wrong with this!"

One by one, the scientists' faces broke into wide smiles. They beamed at Cyborg for his praise.

"What?" Robin asked, astonished. He stared incredulously at Cyborg as the teen walked towards the entrance hall.

"That machine, it seems like it'll really work!" Cyborg said enthusiastically.

"Then the people shall really benefit from it?" asked Starfire. Cyborg nodded.

"Excellent!" cried Beast Boy. The Titans began to file out of the room. Robin threw one last look back at Stalwart before he followed his teammates back into the daylight, far away from the dingy lair.

---

Raven flipped on the light as the Titans entered the Tower again. It wasn't quite late enough for them to go to bed, but as the looked around the room, they couldn't think of anything to do. Raven picked up a book, leafed through it, then put it back on the counter. Beast Boy held his finger over the Gamestation power button, but decided against it.

Suddenly, a chattering noise could be heard coming from above their heads.

"AUGH!" screeched Cyborg, as the squirrel leaped down onto the couch, then bounded away down the hall. The dish formally covered in peanut butter had been licked clean, and Cyborg looked furious that he had helped, rather than hindered, the squirrel.

"Raven, lock the doors!" Cyborg said, throwing open a drawer and snatching up a spatula. Raven rolled her eyes, but complied. There was an audible click as each exit from the room was locked.

For about fifteen minutes, the Titans watched their largest teammate run around the room, chasing after the furry creature... again. None of them were quite sure what he planned to do when he caught it, but it didn't really matter. The metallic teen was nowhere near catching it.

"Cyborg..." Robin said, uneasily.

"C'mon, Foamy," whispered Cyborg, as he closed in on the animal. It was perched on the edge of the table, cocking its head for a better view of the Titan. "I shall call you Foamy, and you shall be Foamy, and you shall be my Foamy!" He reached out to seize the squirrel, but missed, and ending up crashing into the table instead. He growled, his face squashed against the smooth surface of the table. But as he turned around, he found no trace of the animal.

"Cyborg!" Robin cried, worrying about the sudden threat to all of their things in the room.

"Where did he go?" he asked. The rest of the team had varying degrees of confusion on their faces.

Cyborg narrowed his human eye. "Are you hiding it from me?"

"No! Why would we?" asked Starfire. Cyborg shrugged. Starfire wouldn't lie.

"OK, no one is leaving this room until I find that thing again!" he proclaimed.

"What?" Raven blurted out.

"Ya'll heard me. I am catching that thing tonight, and no one is allowed to open a door or anything! I don't want him escaping..."

"What are we supposed to-" began Robin, but Beast Boy beat him to it.

"Oh man! I'm so bored! What should we _do_?" the green Titan complained.

"Shall we play a game to amuse ourselves?" Starfire asked. Raven was about to say she'd rather just phase through the wall into her own room, and she could take everyone else, but at that moment, Cyborg's eyes lit up.

"Yeah! And I have just the one, too..." he said, grinning maliciously.

"Truth or Dare."

"Sweet!" Beast Boy proclaimed.

"I don't think-" Robin began, but before he could finish his thought, he felt a hand slip into his. Starfire had grabbed onto his gloved fingers, and was staring at him with wide eyes.

"Please play Robin! I do not know how to participate, and you must show me how!" she said pleadingly. Robin found himself nodding.

Starfire then blushed as she realized she had been holding Robin's hand. She quickly let it drop, and Robin felt a stab of disappointment. He pushed it away, and he and Starfire followed Beast Boy over to couch, which they pushed back for room to sit of the floor.

"This game is really not my thing," Raven said, and she headed for the door when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned and found herself face to face with a small picture. She pulled away from Cyborg's grip to see what the picture was, and her eyes widened in horror.

"Where did you get that?" she hissed at him, trying to snatch it. But Cyborg opened a small slot in his system, and stored the picture there quickly.

"I'm magical!" he said, evilly. Raven glared at him.

"Give it to me. Right now."

"If you play, I'll destroy it, I swear."

"Fine."

They walked over, and Cyborg plopped himself down between Starfire and Beast Boy. Finding no room anywhere else, Raven delicately sat on Beast Boy's other side. She _really_ didn't want to do this, but it seemed she had no choice.

Beast Boy turned to her. "Glad you graced us with your presence," he mocked. Raven rolled her eyes again.

"OK, basically, someone will ask you 'Truth or Dare,' and you choose either of them. If you choose 'Truth,' you have to answer a question with total honesty. If you choose 'Dare,' you have to do whatever the person says," Robin explained to Starfire. She furrowed her brow.

"But Robin, are we not always supposed to speak honestly?" she asked.

Robin faltered. "Well, yeah, I guess so."

"Alright, I'm going first!" Cyborg said. He looked around at his teammates, while still keeping watch for the squirrel. His eyes fell on his first victim.

"Robin! Truth or Dare?"

"Um... Dare." Cyborg laughed, and Robin instantly knew he shouldn't have done that.

"Raven, pop in the third CD on the sixth row," commanded Cyborg. Raven, who was sitting close to the screen and CD collection, obediently used her power to insert the CD into their huge stereo system. It had been built directly in the wall, and was quite loud when they wanted it to be.

"Number two." Raven again used her magic to press the correct buttons. After a few seconds, music filled the Tower, and Robin nearly cried.

"What _is_ this?" he said.

Cyborg was now cracking up. "You gotta sing at least one verse!" he choked out. Robin growled, but he complied.

_**You drive me crazy**_

_**I just can't sleep**_

_**I'm so excited, I'm in too deep**_

_**Oh, crazy, but it feels alright**_

_**Baby, thinkin' of you keeps me up all night**_

The music (if you could call it that) continued to play as Robin, very red in the face, folded his arms over his chest. Cyborg and Beast Boy were nearly in tears, they were laughing so hard.

"My turn," he said, as Raven, smirking, turned off the music. Robin glared at her.

"Raven, Truth or Dare?" he asked angrily.

"Truth," she replied quickly. She was _not_ going to risk the same fate.

"What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?"

Raven felt a blush creep up her neck, and looked down at her feet. Unfortunately for her, her hood was down and everyone could see her face growing crimson. The boys even gained control over their laughter. If it was something to make _Raven_ blush, it had to be good.

"Um..." she tried, but stopped. She just couldn't bring herself to say it. It was a horrible enough memory as it was.

"Yeah?" prompted Beast Boy, nudging her with his elbow.

She spoke quietly, but they managed to catch every word. "Star and I were at the mall, and we were at those stupid changing stalls. Star was trying something on, and she wanted me to see it. She called out and told me to come in, but I picked the wrong door. I walked in on this guy and his girlfriend..."

She shuddered. "Don't wanna go there."

Starfire looked thoughtful. "Then that is why you insisted we go home right away."

"Um... what exactly... were they doing?" asked Cyborg.

"Not what you're thinking, but I _still_ didn't need to see it," Raven answered.

Beast Boy burst out laughing. Raven glared at him. "It's not that funny," she mumbled.

Robin and Cyborg also started sniggering, and soon the three boys were all laughing together at Raven's expense. She narrowed her eyes into slits, and summoned some of the cushions off the couch. She proceeded to smack the boys repeatedly.

"Hey!" Beast Boy said, throwing up his arms to shield his face. He transformed into a mouse and hid behind Raven, so she would have to go through herself to get at him. Raven reached back and grabbed the green rodent. He let out a small 'erk' as she tightened her grip on him. She held the mouse up to her face to get her point across.

"It's. Not. Funny."

The mouse nodded furiously. Raven dropped him next to her in his seat, and let the cushions fall. Robin had regained his composure enough to say, "Your turn, Raven."

Raven turned to growl at the laughing Cyborg. "Truth or Dare?" she asked him dangerously.

Cyborg tried to take a couple deep breaths, and, still chuckling weakly, said, "Truth."

Raven was slightly taken aback. She had even thought of the perfect Dare, which included a pineapple, three scarves, and a bar of soap... but she didn't need it for now. She strained her brain for the best possible thing to ask.

"Who was your most recent crush?" she finally decided on.

Cyborg gulped. Robin and Beast Boy leaned in, evil smiles spread across their features. Cyborg's eyes flicked to the side, and back forward.

"Hmm?" asked Beast Boy. Cyborg swallowed hard again.

"Yes, please tell us!" Starfire said, beaming. Cyborg whimpered.

"I hate you, Rae," he whispered. Raven just smirked.

Cyborg mumbled something under his breath. Beast Boy started poking the large teen's arm. "Didn't catch that, Cy."

"Jinx," he muttered.

"What!? Is that why you got distracted in the H.I.V.E.? Cyborg, you know better than to let that sort of stuff get in the way of our job..." Robin went off on his big spiel.

"So what did you guys do?" Beast Boy asked, slyly. Robin spluttered to a halt.

"What!?"

Beast Boy began laughing, yet again. Raven sighed inwardly. He was having way too much fun with this.

Cyborg seemed to agree with her, because he turned to the green Titan. "BB, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare!" Beast Boy cried, smirking. He puffed out his chest to look a little more impressive.

Cyborg got an idea. An awful idea. A terrible, horrible, awful idea. (A/N: _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_ reference!) "You really want a Dare?" he asked. Beast Boy nodded. "You sure?" Again, Beast Boy shook his up and down. "Then kiss Raven."

There was a stunned silence for a few minutes. Then-

"What?!" screamed Raven. If her cheeks had been red before, it was nothing compared to the absolute scarlet they were now. Beast Boy was sitting there, completely dumbstruck. However, Robin and Starfire seemed quite happy about it, after they got over the initial shock.

"Yes, you must complete the Dare!" cried Starfire. Robin was grinning wickedly.

Raven and Beast Boy turned to each other. 'Am I really going to go through with this?' Beast Boy thought. Although, Raven was really pretty. He had always thought so, but it seemed even more apparent as the days passed. He often found himself just watching her, entranced by her gentle, and yet seductive looks. He wasn't quite sure what it meant (because he's just SO smart, you know?) but he knew that he couldn't help it. She was too beautiful for him _not_ to stare. But he knew if he were to kiss her, he would soon lose an appendage. Or two.

Raven sat there, numb. If she had control over her limbs, she would have smacked Cyborg across the room. Sadly, she had lost all feeling. Still turned towards Beast Boy, Raven let her eyes close. If she just didn't do anything, maybe it would all go away... or maybe not. But maybe, she would enjoy it. Raven mentally slapped her forehead. What was she thinking? She wasn't thinking, that was it-

But before she could escape her mental battle, Raven felt herself being pushed to the floor by the points of pressure on her shoulders. A huge weight suddenly pressed itself on her, and she felt the wind get knocked out of her. A long, slobbery tongue splattered her face with drool. Raven opened her eyes to find a huge bloodhound on her chest.

"Get off me!" she yelled. The Titans heard a crash from a lower floor, an obvious side effect of Raven's sudden release of energy. Beast Boy transformed himself into a green sparrow, and took to the air. He landed back in his seat in his normal form, a huge grin spread over his face.

"Who did the Dare? I did!" he said triumphantly. But his victory celebration was cut short by Raven's furious expression.

"That... was not... funny," she said through clenched teeth, although Beast Boy could hardly hear her over the other Titan's laughter. Even Starfire had joined in, over the comical appearance of the entire scene. Beast Boy gulped inwardly, really hoping he wasn't about to lose his life.

Cyborg, however, intervened and quite possibly saved his green friend's hide. "Alright, BB, pick someone."

Raven ground her teeth, seething. She yanked her hood over her face. She felt angry, humiliated, and... disappointed?

"Hmm..." Beast Boy contemplated. He looked around at the waiting faces of his teammates. He really didn't want to push Raven, so she was out. Cyborg had gone a lot already, and you could trust him as far as you could throw him... which wasn't very far, due to his immense size.

"Star, Truth or Dare?"

Starfire thought for a moment. Considering some of the Dares her friends had been forced to partake it, she didn't want to risk it.

"I shall choose Truth."

"Did you ever have a boyfriend back home?" Beast Boy asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Starfire blushed. "Not technically..."

It was a good thing none of the other Titans had been eating or drinking at that time, because they all would have choked. They had all been expecting the complete opposite answer. Beast Boy had a confused look all over his face. Cyborg was stunned. Raven's eyes were wide, her previous anger forgotten. Robin was livid.

"What?" he demanded.

"There was a boy I knew at court... he was a good friend of mine, until one day he kissed me. But an elder noticed, and his family was banished. I have always wondered what happened to him..." Starfire explained, trailing off. Robin had a strong urge to rip the couch cushions into tiny ribbons.

The silence seemed to echo in the room. No one knew what to say until Raven snapped her fingers in the middle of the circle.

"Your turn, Starfire," she said.

The Titans played their game for a long time into the night. Raven got to use her Dare she had been thinking of, and humiliated Beast Boy. Starfire was getting the hang of it, and even chose a Dare once. Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy's sides hurt from all their laughter. However, Cyborg smacked a few people with his spatula if they laughed as his expense. Finally, at about 11:30, Robin stood up.

"OK, we need our rest for any trouble tomorrow. Everyone's got to get some sleep," he said, as he motioned with his thumb over his shoulder.

"But what about-?" Cyborg began, his mind clearly still set on his furry adversary.

"Forget it," Robin interrupted shortly. Cyborg grumbled to himself as he hoisted himself off of the ground. Raven sank into the floor in a swirl of dark energy, and arrived in her room moments later. Robin unlocked the doors, and he, Starfire, and Beast Boy filed into the hall. As they headed for their individual rooms, Beast Boy, in the rear, smirked.

"Let's play another game," he said. His teammates turned to look at him.

"It's late, Beast Boy," said Robin.

"It's really quick!" Beast Boy pleaded. Robin raised an eyebrow. "You and Starfire can go first!"

"What is it?" he asked, slightly suspicious.

Beast Boy shoved both of them into the nearby hall closet, and before either of them could register what happened, the green Titan slammed the door shut behind them. They could hear his muffled voice call out, "Seven Minutes of Heaven!"

Beast Boy ran down the hall, cackling madly.

Robin felt the blush shoot up his neck. It was a good thing it was pitch black. Starfire held up an arm, shining a starbolt around them. Robin tried to swallow his embarrassment. "What is this game?" queried Starfire.

Robin just shook his head. "You don't wanna know."

"Why not?" Starfire asked.

"This game is all about... well... stuff that happens... between couples. Probably the same exact thing the elders were worrying about with that guy you were talking about," Robin said, slightly huffily. Starfire was taken aback. First, by _what_ game she was supposed to be playing, and second, by the hint of jealousy she could detect in Robin's voice.

"Does it bother you that this boy..." Starfire trailed off, unsure of how to word it. But Robin understood.

"Yeah, I guess does bother me," he replied quietly. "I hate hearing how someone might have destroyed your innocence... if that makes any sense."

Starfire smiled warmly and gently, her face bright from her own light. "Thank you for caring so much," she whispered. "I really appreciate it."

Robin leaned in a little closer. "You're really important to the team... and to me."

Robin didn't even know what he was doing. He just started drawing nearer to her until their faces were only inches apart. Satrfire's starbolt flickered slightly in her surprise. She closed her eyes-

"Did I hear voices in here?" Cyborg pressed a button on the outside keypad of the closet, which made the door slide open with a 'swoosh.' The two Titans trapped inside were so startled, they jumped simultaneously and landed, sprawled on the floor, Robin's face on Starfire's feet. Cyborg's eyes widened. "Am I interrupting something here, or what?"

"No! Nothing!" Robin said, his voice stifled by Starfire's boots. He sat up quickly, and brushed himself off. "Beast Boy locked us in here," he explained, standing and offering his hand to Starfire. Although it was very easy for her to just fly, she accepted his hand gratefully.

"Yes, I am going off to bed now!" Starfire said happily, and a little too quickly.

"Yup, 'night Star!" said Robin, waving sheepishly at her retreating form. As she disappeared, Robin started down the hall as well.

"See you in the morning, Cy!" he called over his shoulder. Cyborg still stood there, baffled. Then he shook his head.

"I've seen stranger things," he told himself, and headed off into his own room.

Beast Boy had already fallen asleep, even though he had locked Robin and Starfire in the closet. He was going to get them in seven minutes, like he had said, but he'd gotten very sleepy all of a sudden, and plopped down on his pillow. But at that moment, he gasped as he bolted awake. He sat up in bed, rigid and in a cold sweat. He looked around frantically, expecting to see hard, linoleum floors, crawling with screaming kids, and vast shelves stretching towards the sky, stocked with- wait. It was only a dream. He lay back down, his breathing returning to normal. It was just a dream.

Or was it?

---

Slade walked along the aisles of the store he currently occupied. The old woman at the cashier was looking at him with a murderous glare, possibly because her manager had said never to throw a customer out of the store, but instead, wait for them to make the purchase, then finally close down. It was getting very late, and this stupid man was still browsing, and he'd already been here for four hours!

"Which one, which one?" murmured Slade to himself. "Do I want the purple? Purple is such a regal color. But who could resist the pastel yellow one?"

Slade shook his head, and continued to gaze up at the rack of My Little Ponies © above him. There were so many of them, looming above him, teasing his indecisiveness. He loved the little purple one with the heart on its butt. On the other hand, there was that sweet yellow one bearing a sun. Slade reached into his pocket and began thumbing through his money.

"Goody!" he said, jumping up and down. "I have enough for two!" The wrinkled lady perked up, and picked up the bar code scanner, ready to get the guy out of there as quickly as possible.

"Oh wait," Slade said, sounding distraught. "Do I want two ponies, or one pony with accessories? Oh, decisions, decisions, decisions!" He picked up a cardboard box display of the set he could purchase. He held up the box and called out to the woman. "Should I buy the pink brush-and-jewelry set?"

"Whatever you want, sir," the woman growled through clenched teeth. Slade thought for another minute, before pulling the yellow pony down, along with the box of accessories. The woman let out a sigh of relief as Slade skipped over to the counter. But suddenly he stopped short, and ran down another aisle.

"Look, look! They have pretty crowns to wear!" Slade said excitedly, pointing up at the plastic toys. "I think I have enough!" he went on. "Now which one do I want?"

The poor woman behind the counter let her head sink into her folded arms. Her muffled sobs carried through the air as Slade propped his hand under his chin, trying to decide between the larger crown with the fake diamonds and rhinestones, or the smaller one with a pink veil.

-----

Author's Notes: I still feel really bad about being so late with the update. However, I do have a plan written out for the rest of the story, so I'll have objectives in mind as I write, hehe, which will help me go faster. Suggestions are still completely welcome, and most definitely **_encouraged_**. The thing I've got is just a quick guideline telling me the point I have to reach in each chapter to keep the plot moving. Oooh, also, my story has passed the fifty page mark! Yay! Anyway, I have a ton of oneshots I have to get out, so keep your eyes out for those, if you want to read them. There should be one up today, but I don't want to swear it 'cause if I'm wrong again, I'll have to beat myself up again, and I'm still recovering from my personal beating. Anyway, please review!


	8. The Mall of Shopping

Author's Notes: OK, I'm definitely trying to write at every opportunity I've got. But really, I've been very stressed out recently. I won't go into details, but people and school have been bugging me, and I really need a vacation. I think things are going to be better now, but I'm not going to jinx it.

Anyway, aside from that, I know I'm really late with this, and I'm really sorry about that! I honestly am going to eat my teachers. Ergh! Too much homework! But we've had pretty darn good episodes to keep us happy, eh? I know I've been enjoying them! I have seen so much evidence, I almost go into shock every time, hehe.

Also, I've had a request to move all the review replies to the end of the chapter. I see nothing wrong with this, and it helps you guys get to the chapter faster! So, without further delay... here it is!

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Chapter 8: The Mall of Shopping

"Why the heck won't this thing work?!" Robin cried angrily, repressing the urge to kick his computer. He had been struggling for the past half hour to bring up a case file for the police. "Incompetent piece of..." he mumbled, trailing off. He stooped in his seat and rebooted the computer for the fourth time.

As the screen flickered to black and switched on again, Robin began to rock in his chair, biting his lip. He had no idea how the heck he was going to act around Starfire anymore. Things had gotten way too weird. What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do?

The screen had returned to normal, so Robin booted up the program once again. He began typing rapidly, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

'Maybe I could apologize to her,' he thought. 'Yeah, that's what I could do!'

A small window popped up in the middle of the screen. Robin pounded his fist down on the desk. "No! No more stupid errors!" He tried to close the small pop-up, but it would go away. He closed the program again, and started it up again, this time through another file. 'Just to make sure, I could buy her something... just something little,' Robin's thoughts continued as he waited for the program to load.

'This file cannot be found.'

Before he could stop himself, Robin whipped out a few smoke bombs and held them threateningly over the computer. Regaining his composure, he slowly lowered his hand. Robin put away his weapons and picked up his communicator.

"Raven, what are you doing?"

"Trying to write a poem. Why do you want to know?" Raven's voice came through the communicator, scratchy and slightly annoyed. Robin felt a small stab of guilt for interrupting, but at the moment, he was too frustrated to care.

"My computer isn't working," Robin answered.

The link was closed, and mere seconds later, a dark shape materialized in the room. Raven emerged from the shadow and walked over to the problem machine.

Raven sat down in Robin's seat, and started up the program again. The same message came up again, and Raven was forced to retry the program again. Robin hovered behind the dark girl, trying to see what she was doing. As it failed again, Raven narrowed her eyes. She was very good with computers, and there were barely any problems regarding them she couldn't fix. However, when one came up, it irritated her to no end.

Raven tried to restart the program, but it didn't work. As she tried other means of getting the program to operate, Starfire appeared in the doorway. Robin felt himself choke on his own breath, for some reason, and Starfire carefully avoided his eyes.

"Friends, what are you working on?" she asked pleasantly. Raven didn't reply. Robin coughed.

"Um, the computer's busted," he answered. Starfire chanced a look over at him, and saw a tinge of red spread across his face. She turned away before Robin could notice her own blush. Apparently, the memory of last night was still fresh in his mind.

"Call Cyborg," Raven growled, glaring at the screen. Robin, glad for the excuse, picked up his communicator again.

"Cy, get in here. We have a slight problem."

"Not now man, I'm just about to- argh!" the Titans heard through Robin's device. In the background, they could hear Beast Boy's shouts of triumph. A few minutes later, Cyborg burst into the room, an angry look plastered on his face, with the green Titan hot on his heels, still cackling madly.

"I _told_ you, I am the champion of Monster Melee!" Beast Boy said. Cyborg threw a dark look over his shoulder.

"What's the problem?" he asked, ignoring Beast Boy and leaning over Raven's shoulder.

"This stupid thing isn't working," Robin offered from behind. Raven pulled up the window again, and the error sign popped up.

"Did you try this?" asked Cyborg, as Raven got out of his way. He began typing in computer codes that he had learned since his time becoming a half-metal man. For a moment, it seemed to be working, but at the last second, a new screen showed up, proclaiming another error had occurred.

"Oh, I know what to do!" Beast Boy said, jumping over Cyborg's shoulder, changing into a lemur as he did so. His tiny digits flew across the keyboard before anyone could stop him. The program finally opened, until the screen went blank.

"What did you do!?" Robin cried, looking at his precious computer. Beast Boy shrank down, turning into a mouse and scampering away. But before Robin could murder his teammate for destroying his machine, the alarm went off throughout the Tower.

"Titans, go!" Robin called, and the team ran from the room. But Beast Boy forgot to change back, and as he ran down the hall as a mouse, the uninvited squirrel leaped on him, throwing him to the ground. Beast Boy squeaked in protest, but he wasn't pinned long. A huge hand reached down quickly and grabbed the attacker, lifting the squirrel into the air. Cyborg held the creature up to his face, a mad glint in his eye.

"Oh, I've got you now!" he crowed, glaring at the struggling squirrel. Cyborg ignored the rodent's shrill calls. Beast Boy, morphing back into his human form, held a hand up to his head briefly, trying to stop the spinning. He then stood up quickly, running to catch up with the rest of the team.

The squirrel turned its beady eyes until they were level with Cyborg's wild look. But his moment of triumph was cut short as Robin's angry voice carried down the hall.

"Cyborg, it is time to go!"

"But-"

"Now!"

Cyborg winced, then dropped with squirrel unceremoniously on its posterior. It chattered furiously, then scampered down the hall. Cyborg shook his fist at the retreating creature's back. "Mark my words... I _will _get you!"

Then he joined his teammates down the hall, about to embark on yet another mission.

---

"This is way too easy!" cackled a grinning boy, holding his hand up. He looked to be about thirteen of age, but he wasn't wearing the normal garb of a young teenager. He wore form-fitting clothing, seemingly a mere extension of his skin. A dark belt wrapped around his waist, separating the halves of his costume, the top being white, and the bottom being red. He had recently shaved his head, and the light above him reflected off his scalp. This design was very unoriginal, for he had copied another villain for the same 'hairstyle.'

His partner merely nodded. He was much taller, about sixteen, and wore a dark gray costume instead. He too wore a belt, but his had magnets adorning it. His longer hair fell into his eyes, hindering his vision. He wore black goggles around his forehead, where they stayed without a purpose. Another meaningless part of his suit was the random screws around his wrist, like bracelets.

The two boys held their hands out in front of them, slowly advancing on the jewelry store ahead of them. Dozens of frightened shoppers swarmed around them, trying to escape. The villains had burst into the mall, eyes glittering as the larger one took control of all the metal in the building. He had ripped open holes in the walls, smashed the ceilings, and all but destroyed the elevators.

The little one laughed even louder as the lights above his head shattered. The electricity running through them had increased tenfold, causing the fuses to blow. As the charges coursed through the wires overhead, the heat grew to unbearable levels, and small sparks turned into flames.

"What do you think, the bank next?" the small boy chuckled. His counterpart only grunted. He had begun to carefully arrange metal scraps into words, forming onto the wall through the magnetic hold, and apparently did not appreciate being interrupted. "Why are you being so sour?" demanded the other one.

"You were right... this is too easy..." the young man trailed off, pausing in his writing. "Shouldn't someone be here to stop us?"

"Don't jinx it!" spat his friend. Stomping off, the boy approached another store, this one with lava lamps in the windows. With another wave of his hand, the boy caused the lamps to shatter. The ooze formerly contained inside the objects splattered everywhere, amusing the child and causing him to snort with laughter again.

Suddenly, a crash sounded overhead. Five dark shapes swooped down upon the villains, each landing with relative ease. The boys immediately recognized the Teen Titans.

"I told you not to jinx it, Drake!" cried the smaller boy. He braced himself for the unavoidable onslaught he was about to endure.

"I guess you guys realize this was the wrong thing to do, then," Robin said. It wasn't a question.

"Will you surrender without a hassle?" asked Starfire. The little boy laughed.

"No way! I am way too strong for you guys to ever get close to beating!" the boy rocked back and forth on his heels. "My name is Super Electro Man, and I'll crush you all!"

The Titans shared looks, and the boy's friend visibly winced. "His name is Craig," he offered, shaking his head. Then his eyes became steely, glaring at the heroes. "But he was right... you're not going to stop us."

Raising his arms again, he took hold of metal beams stretching across the ceiling. Ripping them from their places, he swung them low, nearly decapitating Beast Boy.

"Hey!" cried the green teen. "Watch what you're doing!"

The young man, apparently Drake, didn't give any indication that he had even heard Beast Boy's protest, let alone let it phase him. Slamming the metals shards into the ground, he charged their different ends so that the polar opposites attracted one another, and fused together. He aligned them with the team, and concentrated. The razor-sharp sections flew at the Titans.

"Titans, go!" cried Robin, and each team member sprang away from the point of impact where the shards hit. Before Drake could take hold of them once more, Robin threw a smoke bomb, blinding the teenager. Raven quickly summoned up her strength, lifting Drake's weapons and sending them crashing down to the end off the area, hopefully out of his reach.

Not to be left out, Craig clenched his fists. Bolts of electricity shot down from the damaged lights in the ceiling into the boy's palms, and with a flash, he held a crackling ball of energy in each hand. Grunting, he chucked them as hard as he could at Starfire. The alien girl quickly mustered starbolts to her own hands, and threw them back. As the two forces met halfway, an explosion resulted, sending both parties backwards.

Growling to himself, Craig motioned to his partner. Drake nodded once more, and ripped more chunks of metal from the surrounding area. He sent them flying into different parts of the wall, protruding out from their landing spots. Craig pointed his finger at the closest one, and it began to spark. He moved his entire arm to point at another one, and a beam of electricity flew from the first piece of metal to the next. He continued until the section of the mall where the battle took place was transformed into a giant, electrical maze.

Cyborg tried blasting at the electrical receptors, but his Sonic Cannon was deflected and sent flying off. Beast Boy, in an attempt to distract Drake, jumped onto the young man's face as a chimpanzee, screaming and scratching as best he could. While he managed to get in a few good grazes, Drake was still able to reach up and yank the Titan-turned-animal off his head. He chucked Beast Boy across the room, who changed back as he hit the floor, sliding slightly.

"Worked before," he grunted apologetically to his teammates, who had regrouped behind him.

"Alright team, we need a plan," Robin said quietly. The two villains stood on the opposite side of their makeshift arena. Each team sized each other up, sending death glares back and forth.

"So what are we going to do?" Raven asked.

"We could try to call for backup," suggested Cyborg. "Get the police in here."

"Wouldn't that just be putting them in danger?" Beast Boy queried. Robin nodded.

"We'll have to do this ourselves. The police would get hurt before they could be of any help." Robin reached back to grab his bo staff. It enlarged itself, and Robin held it ahead of him menacingly. The smaller boy merely smirked, unafraid. Drake was completely unfazed, his face betraying no emotion. His mask of stone was so good, Raven would have been jealous, had she the opportunity to notice.

"Robin," said a quiet voice that could send shivers up the spine of the boy whose name it spoke. He turned slightly so he could look behind and saw her gaze fixed on him.

"Yeah?"

"I believe we should be splitting up the fight. These boys seem to work together well, and if we are to stop them from cooperating, we could perhaps defeat them." She reverted her look to the two boys, the smaller of which seemed to grow impatient with the lack of fighting.

"I think that'll work," Robin said. "Three on the big one, two on the smaller."

"What did you call me?" screeched Craig, and he threw another bolt of electricity at Robin, apparently eager to begin the brawl again, and using any excuse possible. Cyborg quickly lifted his right arm (A/N: It's the right, right?) and shot his Sonic Cannon at the small burst of lightning. They both fizzled out, a better result than when Starfire had tried to combat them.

In an unspoken agreement, Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg leapt at Drake while Robin and Starfire took the smaller boy. A look of surprise spread over Craig's features, but it was brief. He raised his arms again, and an electric charge spread between his palms, creating a beam stretching across his chest. He ripped his hands away, and it snapped into a ball of electricity. Robin inwardly winced as he realized this boy, while small in stature, made up for it in sheer power.

Drake snapped his fingers lazily, and a horrible wrenching sound came from behind him. Over his shoulder, the escalator was being gashed apart. Raising an eyebrow, he motioned in front of him, and the metal sidings of the escalator landed in front of him. He stepped onto it, and it rose up from the ground, taking him with it. 'A mimicked move,' thought Raven.

"Eat sparks!" shrieked Craig. Roaring with frustration, he launched the huge ball of electricity straight at Starfire. She dodged it with ease, and it went soaring off behind her. But before she could get comfortable, Craig shot dozens of smaller, but still potent, energy balls at her. Starfire let out a small squeak as she narrowly missed a bolt flying at her shoulder. The onslaught stopped, and Starfire chanced a look down at the boy.

"Look out!" Robin cried from below. Confused, Starfire whipped her head around frantically. The larger ball of electricity had not disappeared, as Starfire had thought, but was in fact, hurtling at her at a rate impossible to surmise for a rebound. Before she had the chance to react, Starfire felt something large hit her form the side, pushing her out of the way with great force. She was thrown to the ground, covered by whatever had just hit her.

Peeking up, Starfire could see it was Robin.

But before she could say something, the large enemy came back at them, and Robin threw his arms over Starfire's head to protect her. The energy mass smashed into the wall in front of them, grazing their shoulders.

"You OK?" grunted Robin. Starfire could only nod. She didn't trust her voice to speak.

The oddest feeling had swept over her. Although she was in the middle of a very intense battle, surrounded by two boys who only wished to either spear her or electrocute her, with her friends in danger all around, Starfire felt safe. With Robin's arms around her, she felt as if there was some sort of special shield protecting her.

Sadly, the feeling couldn't last for long. The two of them got up quickly, spinning around to face Craig, who stood across from them, fists clenched and panting heavily.

The others hadn't been having much luck either. While Robin had been busy rescuing Starfire from the giant electrical ball, Beast Boy and Cyborg had been trying to evade metal spikes that were being continuously hurled at them. Raven and Drake had been playing tug-of-war with many of these renegade pieces of metal. Raven's powers far surpassed Drake's in measurement, but his true reign was over the hunks of debris, while the darkness Raven used could only penetrate his hold slightly.

"Think we need a new plan?" wheezed Beast Boy quickly between morphs. His eagle form had barely touched down when he'd gone human for moment to speak, then a quick transformation to tiger.

Cyborg, who had been busy shooting a large piece of metal that had been attempting to cut of his leg, only grunted in reply.

Raven growled slightly as a tiny section of the wall flew right past her ear. Her hood had long since fallen down, her forehead slightly glossy with a thin bead of sweat. She was finding it hard to concentrate on what seemed like a hundred different pieces of metal at the same time.

With a complete abandonment of common sense, Raven streamed through the air until she reached Drake's floating platform. What she hoped to accomplish was beyond everyone, including herself, but she was fed up with the exasperating fight, and wanted to end it. Drake stepped back, startled at the dark girl's bold move, but he swiftly regained his balance. He tried to punch her, but Raven was to fast for him. She took control of a couple scarves from below in a store window, and tried to wrap them around Drake's feet, but his metal minions sliced them to ribbons.

Raven reached behind herself, and grabbed her own piece of metal. She levitated it menacingly over her head at Drake. She suddenly felt a jolt of panic. She could feel her grasp over the chunk slipping away, and it was _sharp_.

Drake reached up and snatched the piece right out of the air. He didn't even need his power for what he did next. Grabbing Raven's wrist, he wrenched her around so that her back was to him, and held the pointed end of his weapon the Raven's throat.

"Do... not... move," he whispered. Raven sneered at him, even though he couldn't see, but she stopped struggling.

"No!" cried Beast Boy from below.

"Don't come any closer," Drake commanded. Beast Boy froze in place. Robin and Starfire were so preoccupied with their fight with Craig, they didn't even notice their friend being threatened.

"Cy, do something!" Beast Boy mouthed anxiously.

"What can I do?" hissed Cyborg back.

Raven rolled her eyes from her dangerous position. She suddenly grew dark, and sunk into floating metal where Drake stood, looking around confusedly.

Raven phased out of the bottom, and floated to the ground. Before Drake could even register what happened, Cyborg shot him with his Sonic Cannon, stunning him, and causing him to fall from his suspended seat to the ground, dazed. Raven smirked as she saw the boy fall, but all of a sudden, she couldn't breathe. The life was being squeezed out of her.

"You're OK!" wailed Beast Boy into her cloak. "You're alive!"

"I won't be for very much longer if you keep choking me like this," Raven replied cynically, but it came out raspy. Beast Boy jumped back, immediately sheepish.

"Sorry! Sorry. I didn't mean..." he trailed off, at a loss of what to say. But he didn't need to think of anything because at that moment, a huge explosion sounded from where Robin and Starfire were busy battling Craig.

"Argh! I hate you!" cried the boy, his palms spluttering with sparks. Starfire's starbolts were pulsing around her fists, and her eyes burned, quite literally.

She said, "I am sorry you feel this way, but you have done wrong, and we are going to stop you."

In a last ditch attempt, the teenager mustered his strength into another large bolt of energy, and chucked it at the alien Titan. She raised one hand and sent out a starbolt at the electrical ball. An additional blast resounded through the halls, echoing down the lonely passageways that had so recently been crowded with people, rushing about, doing their shopping.

Craig lifted his hands once again, aiming at Starfire, but to no avail. His power had finally drained itself completely. "No!" he yelled, stomping his foot. "No!" He sunk to his knees, his penetrating gaze poring into his hands, as if staring at them would make his power return to him. "No, we can't lose like this!"

"Yes, you can. And you just did," Robin said, approaching the boy. Craig tore his gaze away from his palms to glare at Robin.

"You..." he tried, but couldn't think of a rude enough adjective to describe the Titan.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Drake had managed to prop himself up slightly. Blinking through his dazed expression, he saw the Tameranian girl hovering over his partner. Concentrating hard, he gained control over a small piece of metal, dangling from where it had already broken, making it an easy target. While a final swoop of his hand, he sent the shard flying in Starfire's direction.

Again, Starfire saw something soaring at her out of the corner of her eye, although this time it was much smaller. Also, this time Robin wasn't quick enough to save her. The piece of metal sliced through her leg, giving her a gash running from the front to the back of her right leg, directly above her knee.

"Starfire!" Robin screamed as he watched the girl crumple and fall. Luckily, she shook herself out of her daze before she hit the ground, and slowed herself to enough of a stop that her landing didn't hurt her. Robin was at her side before she had time to blink.

"Do not worry, I am fine," she said cheerfully, but strained. Over Robin's shoulder, Starfire could see Raven taking possession of almost anything in reach and practically suffocating Drake with the objects.

Suddenly, the shoppers began rushing back into the mall, trying to catch a glimpse of the heroes. The Titans always had to contend with the rush of fans at them, usually right after an intense battle. Everyone's morbid curiosity seemed to get the better of them, and they all crowded around their idols to get a good look at them.

"Everybody, please back up," said Cyborg, turning to face the onslaught of customers.

"Please, I am a doctor!" a voice from far back in the crowd called. The voice was thick with a French accent. "I am a doctor!"

"Um..." Cyborg scratched his head as a skinny man with wiry glasses pushed his way through the throng of people. He adjusted his spectacles, sizing up Cyborg. He was very short, about a head smaller than the robotic teen, and he wore typical, nerdy clothes. His shirt had a pocket protector, and his pants were flood-height.

"I am here to 'elp!" the man cried. He grinned broadly. "Let me see the patient."

"No, really, I am OK!" Starfire said hurriedly. She waved her arms in front of her face. "I need only a bandage, and I shall be perfectly fine!"

"Maybe he should have a look at your leg..." Robin thought out loud, trailing off.

"You see? I am here to assist you in your hour of need!" the man shrilled. Raven and Beast Boy shared a look before they realized what they were doing, and turned away.

The man practically pranced over to the fallen Titan, and the crowd pressed even closer around. They knew that they needed to keep their distance, for evidence and the like, but that didn't stop them from wanting a closer view.

"So, where does it hurt?" asked the man. Starfire stared at him blankly. "Oh, it must be right here!" he said, and reached into his pocket, taking out a large spool of medical tape. "You will allow me to wrap your leg in this, yes?"

"Um, I do not know. Robin?" Starfire turned to look at the Boy Wonder.

"Wouldn't hurt, I guess," was his answer.

"See?" The man stretched the tape between his arms, measuring it out. He got it to the appropriate length, and ripped it with his teeth. It was sticky, however, and got wrapped around his molars, so he sat there struggling with the medical gauze for a minute while Robin and Starfire glanced at each other.

"Is he supposed to do that?" Starfire queried quietly. Robin shook his head.

"Look, we appreciate your help, but-"

"No talking! I need utter silence!" the man screeched. He whipped out a Band-Aid from his pocket, and slapped it across Robin's face.

"Mph!"

"I said silence!" the man cried again. Raven, who was busy turning the two villains into the police, whom had conveniently arrived just as the fight was ending, overhead the scene and suppressed a snicker.

The man took the tape and set it on Starfire's wound. He carefully examined the cut, which, while long, wasn't deep. The heroine smiled at the doctor. "I believe it is fine," she said to him. The man didn't answer; he merely stared at the scratch.

"Here we go!" he laughed, and began wrapping the tape around Starfire's leg. He finished, and his hand lingered on her knee for a slight moment. Robin ripped off his 'gag' and shoved the man away none too gently, although not enough for anyone to see.

"OK, thanks for your help, we'll be going now," he said quickly. He scooped Starfire into his hold, and carried her to the nearest exit. His teammates could only exchange confused looks, and follow after him.

"You are welcome! Come visit me!" the man yelled after them, waving.

The policeman, having handcuffed Craig and Drake and sent them off with his coworkers, watched the strange procession of Titans, and scratched his head slowly with the back of his pen. Shaking his head quickly as if to clear his vision, he waved to the other officers in the mall. They began to allow the shoppers to return to their previous activities.

Starfire hid a smile in Robin's arms. He was still steaming from the rude doctor, and had not let her down yet. She wasn't about to remind him that she was absolutely fine, she had only fallen because of the initial shock. But it was so nice, just to relax for a little while... she wasn't going to stop him. Unfortunately, they had reached the T-Car, and Robin was forced to put her down on the seat.

"Thank you, Robin," she whispered, blushing. He chuckled sheepishly.

"Uh... you're welcome," he offered. His teammates all rolled their eyes behind them.

"This is getting old," Cyborg mumbled, sliding into the driver's seat. "I'm gonna do something about that if it's the last thing I do,"

"Don't promise that," Raven said sarcastically. "It may take longer than you think."

"Oh, don't even start!" Cyborg said in frustration.

"Excuse me?" asked Raven confusedly. But Cyborg refused to say any more, preferring to drive home in silence, plotting ways to get his friends to finally admit their feelings and hook up already, and while he was at it, he ought to get rid of that pesky squirrel... Raven sat quietly as well, stewing on what Cyborg had said, trying to discern his meaning. Robin and Starfire didn't say much, each thinking about the other, and Beast Boy chattered away about who knows what, because no one was really listening.

Well, maybe one person did, but she'd _never_ admit it.

---

"Ooh, Mommy, I wanna go fishing too!" a little boy said excitedly, pulling his mother's arm. She carefully pulled him towards her, avoiding a fallen piece of debris. The mall was such an expensive place for the city, it was almost always open, even when parts of it were missing.

"Not now, sweetheart. Besides, there's no fish in there."

"But then why-"

"I really don't know, but it's not polite to stare."

Slade whistled to himself as he held his fishing rod steady, waiting for a bite. The fountain the middle of the mall was the prime fishing spot, this he was sure of. It was only a matter of time.

Slade barely noticed the strange looks he was getting. He was far too focused on that task at hand. He was sure he had just felt a snag.

"I will get you, my pretties," he hissed menacingly to the empty pool. The pennies at the bottom winked back at him, glinting in the light from overhead.

"You don't believe me?" he asked the water incredulously. "Oh, I will. I'll catch you all!" Slade was beginning to get worked up. He stopped hunching over, and sat up straight. "You will all be mine!" He stood up, his voice rising. "I'll catch you! Then, do you know what I'll do? I'll take off all your little scales and eat you!" He then burst into maniacal laughter, throwing his arms up. His fishing rod went flying, landing with a splash in the fountain.

"No!" he yelled, grabbing his head. "Without that, I have no lunch!" He leapt onto the brick wall surrounding the fountain. Executing a perfect swan dive, he landed in the water, creating a splash which washed over the side, spreading all across the floor and onto some unlucky passerby. He stood up, oblivious to the blank stares he was receiving again. Stepping calmly over the edge of the fountain, he landed unceremoniously on his rear. He stood, shook himself off like a dog, and sat back down.

"Great," he mumbled under his breath. "Now I scared away all the fish." The pennies said nothing. "Don't mock me, Abe!" he cried, shaking his fist at the water. "I will eat tonight, even if it takes four hours just to catch the trout!"

-----

Author's Notes: Well, I don't think that was my funniest chapter. Sorry about that. This was a 'clever' excuse for me to try writing fight scenes, which I am pretty sure I stink mucho at. (Yes, I meant to say 'mucho.' I say it a lot! Don't mock me!) Anyway, please, if anyone can give me suggestions on how to improve my horrible fight scene writing, it would be much appreciated! Also, I hope people found this chapter's Slade excerpt funny, hehe, I have a blast writing him. Anyway, here are the review replies, before I forget.

Change-Of-Heart2- Thanks for reviewing! I am glad you enjoyed the last chapter, and hope you liked this one too!

ScarletAngel68- Ah, the Review Goddess at it again, hehehe. I must say, they really make my day, knowing someone took the time to actually comment that much on what I've written. I'm touched. Hey, you gotta write your sequel, we all miss it! Hehe, reviewing when hyped up on sugar, music, and sneakiness is the best way to do so, hands down. Hehe, yes, inspiration (to me, anyway) is like a dead fish. It's cold, wet, and it smells bad, but you love it anyway 'cause it's inspiration. My friend disagrees, but what does she know, hehe, she's never written/drawn anything. Anyway, on to the actual reply... I have a tendency to ramble... you are getting closer with your guesses of Stalwart, but shh! That shall be revealed, eventually. Anyway, I've always pictured Robin trying to intimidate people, but failing miserably at it. I mean, I wouldn't be scared of a bunch of kids running around in costumes. I would, however, be terrified if they were to zap me with some powers. That's a different story. Haha, don't worry. I will reveal a tiny secret to you: Cyborg is not wrong. But, you ask, if he is not, where the heck did the plot just go? Hehe, you will see! Anyway, I am such a hypocrite. I freak out about grammar all the time to the point where my friends think it's ridiculous, then there's a mistake in my story. Shoot me now. Haha, Cyborg is awesome, no doubt about it. (Ergh, my friend keeps calling me as I write this, trying to get me to come over. No, I won't! I don't want to study Spanish right now!) Hehe, I actually got the slobbery dog kiss idea from "Every Dog Has Its Day," which is still unoriginal. Hmm, your reviews seem to make me laugh. You are one funny duck. Anyway, I also must admit, I fall in love with cartoon characters too. I need to go to, like, "Cartoons Anonymous" and stand up there saying, "My name is Monica, and I am currently in love with no less than four cartoon characters..." Anyway, yes, you are right about the "rump" "butt" thing, but it was late, and I was tired, and you know the drill. Although that's no excuse, but meh. Anyway, I have consumed all the wonderful chocolates you gave me. Delicious. They, as well as your wonderful review, and all my other wonderful reviews, kept me going. Anyway, I better wrap this up. Hope you enjoyed the past chapter!

Starxfire- Thank you for reading! Hehe, yes, I loved the idea of Foamy, I just had to try it out. Sadly, no, Robin and Starfire did not kiss during Seven Minutes of Heaven, but... no, I will not say! Ah, sorry this chapter was so late in coming, I hope you enjoyed it!

rising-terminator6- Thanks for your comments! I'm really glad you enjoyed the Slade part! Hehe, also, glad you liked Beast Boy's little tirade, that was really spur-of-the-moment for me. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter too!

samuraistar- Thanks for reviewing! D'oh, sorry about the wrong Grinch reference. Haven't seen it in a long time! Ah well, thanks for the correction, and I hope you enjoyed this past chapter!

RobinRox13- Thank you for your comments! Hehe, I think I'm even later this time. Ah well, I tried. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the Truth or Dare part! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!

warprince2000- Thank you for reading! Glad you like the story, and I hope this past chapter was pretty good!

Eevee-shadows- Thanks for reviewing! I'm really glad you found the last chapter so funny, hehe. Glad to know people liked it! I hope you will enjoy the future BB/R action, and I hope you liked this chapter!

UnOrthodox- Thanks for your comments! Hmm, I hope I didn't offend anyone with anything I said previously about hippies. My friend just kind of had an obsession with drugs and that crap. But now she's totally switched directions, and is obsessed with religion and ugh... it's phases, and they stress me out on occasions. Anyway, the R/S speed is going to pick WAY up next chapter, hehe. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

SushiChica- Thanks for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Hehe, good to hear that you enjoyed Slade, and the doggy kiss! Also, I totally loved your Slade idea! Must... use! Haha, pure genius! Don't know when it'll show up exactly, but keep an eye out for it! Anyway, hope you liked this chapter!

MirandaOtto- Thank you for your comments! Glad you liked the mushiness of the last chapter, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

starrobin4eva- Thanks for reviewing! Hehe, yes, this sort of stuff really relieves the stress of everyday stuff! Anyway, I totally encourage you to start this story, and tell me when you get it up! Anyway, hope you liked this past chapter!

SED- Hmm, I don't know if your review was a flame or not, but why you would read all the way to chapter six before you decided to stop reading is beyond me. Anyway, if I am misinterpreting your reviews, sorry, but it's up to you to decide whether or not you read any story you don't like.

Slayergirl1362- Thank you for your comments! I'm happy to hear you found the last chapter so funny! Hehe, and yes, reviews always boost my happiness level through the roof, and your review was no exception! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

Poochie14- Thank you for reading! Glad you're enjoying the story, and that you found the dares and such funny, hehe. I hope you liked this past chapter!

Ryuu no Taiyo- Thanks for your comments! Nice to know that you've enjoyed the story thus far. Sorry this update was so long in coming. I hope you liked this past chapter!

Freaky Person O.o- Haha, I love your name. Thanks for reviewing! Glad to hear you like the story, and I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

rikagirls- Thanks for reading! I'm really happy that you've been enjoying this story, and that you found it funny. Hope you liked this chapter!

korichick47- Thank you for reviewing! Haha, I like your idea of the Seven Minutes of Heaven: Truth or Dare version! That would certainly have to be open for interpretation, hehe. Anyway, thank you for such sweet comments, they really brightened my day! Glad to hear you find this so funny! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

crazychild101- Thank you for your comments! I'm glad you enjoyed the part where Beast Boy locked them in the closet, hehe. That was one of my favorite too, but shh! I don't think I'm supposed to say that... even though I have... oh well! A lot of people seem to enjoy Slade's antics, glad they could make another person smile! Hope you enjoyed this past chapter!

The Mad shoe1- Thanks for reading! I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed it so much! Hope you liked this past chapter too! By the way, great name!

soraoathkeeper- Thanks for reviewing! Hehe, glad to meet another Kingdom Hearts fan! That was my first Playstation game ever, and I became obsessed as well. Also, thank you for your compliments, they made me very happy! Glad you enjoyed the Truth or Dare, and I hope you liked this chapter as well!

Jade-Monsoons- Thank you for reading! Hehe, in the grand scheme of things, I really didn't update this story very quickly, but your review came to me two days ago, so technically, to you, this IS a quick update. Yes, I'm finally on time! Eh, I wish. Anyway, I hope you liked this past chapter!

Whew, that was a lot. OK, next update _should_ be soon, but please, please, please don't eat me with sporks! Ahh! Hehe, there should be another one-shot from me coming soon as well, if anyone is interested. I like to throw them in between chapters, and I finally got this one up, so I can begin it. Anyway, I hope you all have enjoyed it, and I promise, the next update won't take as long as this one did!


	9. Revelations and Comfort Zones

Author's Notes: Well. OK, so this wasn't at all quick. I am very sorry! Please don't eat me!

Anyway, you should all notice something… monumental in this chapter. Hoo-hah! Hopefully. Well, it's supposed to be, so we'll see if I achieve that. Anyway, this chapter is essentially in two parts, but not really. OK, I'm rambling and not making much sense. Let's just get on with this chapter, eh?

Oh yeah, before I forget again, I HEREBY NOTE THIS IS MY ONE AND ONLY DISCLAIMER! I hope no one has been plotting to sue me because I forgot this, but I had forgotten. Anyway, yes, I do not own Teen Titans or anything affiliated with Teen Titans. The concepts, however, are mine. OK, with that said, now let's get to the chapter!

Oh wait, I would like to thank SushiChica for her great idea for the Slade bit this chapter! I found the thought _quite_ hilarious, and I hope you do too!

Again, review responses are at the end, and now, finally, we have the chapter!

-----

Chapter 9: Revelations and Comfort Zones

"Are you sure you don't want me to look at that cut?" Raven asked Starfire as they entered the main room.

"Truly, I am fine!" Starfire insisted. Raven frowned, but didn't press the matter. Beast Boy and Cyborg shared a concerned look, but the alien girl did appear to be fine. Still, it did not bode well with them that she had to be carried to the T-Car.

Robin entered behind everyone else, looking very distracted. Only he and Starfire knew she didn't really need to be carried; Robin just hadn't let her down.

"Friends, shall I prepare the lunch for us?" Starfire asked, floating above the stove. Cyborg cringed, and Beast Boy transformed into a turtle, withdrawing into his shell.

"Uh, you know what? We're not really hungry," Raven said, quickly preventing a possible disaster. "We'll eat in a little bit."

"But it is nearly 2:30 in the afternoon!" proclaimed Starfire, gesturing towards the small clock on the stove, its green numbers illuminated. Raven winced.

"Yeah, well… how about I make lunch?"

"You want to, Raven?" Starfire asked, shocked. Raven never volunteered to cook, only agreeing to when no one else felt like doing it.

"Yeah, I have a… special recipe I'd like to try," said Raven. She did not add that the last time Starfire had attempted to make them lunch, it had resulted in the food she'd prepared changing colors and invading the fridge to do battle with the blue, furry food. The Titans were still not sure who won that war.

"Very well," Starfire said, uncertainly. Raven nodded.

"You go rest in your room."

Starfire placed a hand on her bandage. She looked around at her friends. Cyborg and Beast Boy, after resuming human form, nodded at her. Robin was still staring off into space. Starfire struggled to resist the urge to fly to him and throw her arms around his neck, demanding to know what was wrong. Instead, she smiled at her teammates and floated off down the hall.

Beast Boy wiped his brow, a lunchtime disaster avoided. "Hey Cyborg," the green Titan said smugly. "I bet I could whip your butt on Gamestation again."

Cyborg laughed. "You think you _beat_ me?"

"I know I can beat you!" cried Beast Boy. Cyborg grinned.

"You're so on."

Raven rolled her eyes as the boys leaped over the sofa, each grabbing a controller. While their game loaded up, she snatched her book off the table where she had left it, and settled herself down on the edge of the couch. The three Titans sat contentedly for a few minutes in silence, then each looked up at their leader, who still gazed distractedly at some point in the distance only he could see. Robin seemed to notice their stares, however, and turned to face them.

"What?" he asked.

"Go talk to her, man," Cyborg said sympathetically. "You're throwing off the whole Tower."

"I'm what?"

Raven sighed. "He means with all this tension in the air, you're not your old self, and it's noticeable throughout the Tower."

"How does that make any sense?" Robin asked incredulously. Raven shrugged.

"We're all too accustomed to how things are now to change." Beast Boy bristled, his thoughts on their deceased friend. It struck him that Raven was right, though. Terra had never really felt a part of the team because of the intricate layers and connections already established that she could not weave herself into. She had, despite their best efforts, felt like an outsider. While it hurt him to think this, he realized she never could have truly joined the team for that reason. But he shook himself slightly, and returned his mind to the present. There was no point dwelling on the past.

"Seriously, dude," Beast Boy then threw in. "Talk to her."

Robin paused to consider. He could try talking to her… but what would he say? 'Starfire, I love you?' But at that moment, something struck him.

"Wait a minute… how the heck did you guys-"

The Gamestation went into its wait mode as Beast Boy and Cyborg burst out laughing. "It's the most obvious thing in the world!" cried Cyborg. Even Raven allowed a small smile to creep over her face.

"Yeah, you do make it pretty apparent." Robin's face grew very red as the other two Titan males continued to laugh at his expense.

"But hey," Beast Boy said, catching his breath. "So does she."

Robin faltered. "What?"

"You're telling me you've never noticed it?" Cyborg asked, surprise in his voice. Robin shook his head. "Man, you flirt more those people on the crappy soap operas Beast Boy watches when no one's watching."

Beast Boy began to splutter as Raven hid an amused smile. But Robin was not to be deterred.

"You really think…?" he asked, trailing off, not quite knowing how to phrase it. His teammates all nodded.

"So go talk to her," Cyborg demanded. Robin nodded numbly, heading off down the hall. "And don't you come back until you've at least made out!" Cyborg called over his shoulder, and settled himself back down to begin the game. It didn't take long before the two male Titans left to become completely engrossed in what they were doing. Raven stared blankly ahead of her, thinking about what Robin was about to do. She hated to admit it, but it sounded romantic, and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Certainly, she didn't feel that way about Robin. She didn't feel that way about anybody.

With a jolt, she realized she had been staring at the nape of Beast Boy's neck, admiring his well-muscled back that his shirt complemented quite well, while at the same time approving of that little curl his hair made in the back. Shocked at herself, she commanded her brain to focus on the book in front of her, and it wasn't long before she was immersed in the story.

---

Robin jiggled the mouse of his computer to wake it up. He was delaying the impending discussion with Starfire, he knew, but at that moment, he really didn't care. He knew what he wanted to say, he just didn't know how to say it. So he did what any teenager dealing with issues of the heart would do.

He looked it up online.

Robin wrinkled his nose at the really sappy poems he'd brought up. 'Who writes these?' he asked himself, not really expecting an answer. 'Whoever it is, they seriously need a life.'

He winced as he scrolled through some of the poems. 'And a few grammar lessons wouldn't hurt.'

His interest piqued as he read the title, 'How to Tell if You Like Her.' He clicked on the link, and a page consisting of a list appeared on the screen. Robin began to scroll through.

**1) You find yourself getting lost in her eyes.**

"That's not right," Robin murmured aloud. 'You don't want to seem like an idiot, staring into her eyes for an eternity, not saying anything. I'd hate to sit there, completely zoned out, with her just staring back,' he thought.

**2) You'd do anything just to make her smile.**

"What?" Robin asked, disbelievingly. 'She smiles all the times anyway,' he said to himself. 'Well, yeah, whenever I have the chance to make her happy, I'd take it, but I don't even have to go out of my way to do it, we spend enough time together…' But he lost his train of thought, and moved on.

**3) You find yourself talking about her all the time.**

"I kind of have to," he hissed out loud again. 'If I didn't, there could be some serious repercussions. If I don't know where everyone is during a battle, that could mean total disaster,' he finished in the safety of his own head.

**4) You always want to be around her.**

'Who wouldn't?' Robin demanded in his head. 'She's the most comforting person I've ever met. What kind of question was that?'

**5) You find yourself thinking about her all the time.**

"Didn't you just ask me that?" Robin said quietly, shaking his head. "Or something along those lines? You usually talk about what you think about constantly."

**6) You always try to impress her.**

'Sadly, I try to impress everybody. It's a bad habit, but I'm working on breaking it. But if I _don't _perform to the best of my abilities, people get hurt.'

**7) You went searching for this quiz!**

"What!?" Robin cried, not even bothering to lower his voice. "It wasn't even a quiz!" He scrolled down and found the 'Reply' button. After clicking on it, a small window popped up with a space for him to type his response. He quickly wrote, "This list was the worst thing I've ever read on the Internet, and that's saying something. You have no idea what you're talking about. I'm going to go tell the girl of my dreams I love her now, just to spite you." Proudly, he hit the 'Send' button.

'Whoa, what did I just write?' he thought, his adrenaline rush gone. He tried hitting the 'Back' button a few times, but it didn't seem to work. After a while, he gave up.

As Robin walked through the halls, he tried to plan on what to say. He still wasn't sure. For all he knew, Starfire could still be put out by the incident in the closet. But Robin steeled his will; he knew he had to admit the truth, sooner or later. He realized that once he said it, he would no longer have to worry about saying it. 'I just have to worry about her hating me,' he said, wincing as he reached her door. He held up his fist to knock.

---

The sun was high in the sky over the park, although it was getting late. Families calmly walked their dogs, human and animal alike pleased to be able to spend time in the company of the other on such a fine day. In fact, such a pleasant day had not occurred for quite some time in the often-troubled city, so more people than usual populated the park. Young children ran around happily, crying out with glee as they played on the jungle gyms. Their proud parents kept a close eye on the children, watching every time one of them cried out with a new trick they had discovered. So what was to say that Slade could not enjoy the day either?

"Yes, Rocky," Slade sighed contentedly, walking ahead of his beloved pet. "This is the life. We have nothing to worry about, nothing to do… life is good."

He tightened his grip on the leash and kept walking. "Indeed, Rocky, this is what it's all about. What more could we ever ask for? We have the sun shining on our faces, and the wind blowing through our hair!" He reached up to run his fingers through his luxurious locks, but then remembered he didn't have them. He shrugged, his good mood not to be spoiled. "Anyway, what else could we ask for?"

Rocky did not reply. Slade turned around to make sure his pet was still behind him, and indeed he was. He had just stopped to enjoy the scenery as well.

"Good Rocky," cooed Slade, leaning down to stroke his darling.

"Hey, can I pet your dog?" a voice asked from behind him. The villain turned around.

"Of course!" Slade cried happily. He moved out of the way for the boy to get a better look at his pet. The boy stared.

"Um… that's a rock."

"Isn't he great?" sighed Slade, gazing lovingly down at the stone he'd tied a rope around. The little boy gawked at Slade, then turned heel and ran. "You're such a good boy!" Slade said with pride to his beloved pet. He and Rocky began walking again.

A pair of twins ran up to Slade's side, having heard him praise his pet rock. The girl pulled his arm.

"How do you know it's a boy?" she asked.

Slade looked aghast. Then he patted the girl on the head. "I think that's a question for your mother," he said wisely, and he and Rocky resumed their walk.

---

Starfire gazed at herself in the mirror she had positioned on her wall. She frowned, disliking the way her hair fell forward onto her forehead. She held her hand up, pushing the strands of hair away. As she moved her hand, her bangs fell back into place. She sighed, sticking her tongue out at her reflection.

A knock on her door alerted her to the presence of a teammate. "You may enter!" she yelled, just loud enough for her visitor to hear.

Robin slid the door open to see Starfire looking intently at her own face. She pushed her hair back again.

"My hair is bothering me today," she said dully, not looking over towards Robin. "I feel as if it looks like I have simply awakened and joined into the daily routines without any preparation!"

She felt a hand on her wrist, slowly lowering her own hand. Her hair fell back into place. "It looks fine," Robin said huskily. Starfire blushed.

"Is there something you need, Robin?" she asked quietly, changing the subject.

Robin paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

They stood facing each other, neither daring to move out of fear to break the trance. Robin slowly released his hold on Starfire's arm, and she smiled. "Come," she said, gesturing behind her. "We will sit and discuss whatever it is you feel we need to discuss."

Robin nodded mutely.

As they sat on the bed, Robin caught a glance at the Starfire's bandage. It was already coming undone. Robin snorted inwardly, laughing at the incompetence of the crazy doctor. Starfire followed his gaze, and attempted to cover it with her hands. "It is fine, really."

Robin's mouth fell slightly in displeasure. "No, it's not. You got a pretty bad cut, Starfire, and I think we need to get it seen. By a professional. That actually knows what he's doing."

Starfire held up a hand to prevent her giggle from escaping. "You are right, the doctor at the mall of shopping was… less than perfect." Robin smiled slightly.

"You _are_ allowed to say bad things about people, you know. You're never going to see that guy again, anyway," he said. 'Not if I can help it," he added silently.

Starfire looked down, thoughtful. "Yes, you are right. Although, I feel it is better to practice looking at the bright side of things, so when the opportunity arises to do so, you are prepared."

Robin, looking slightly guilty, also stared at his feet. "OK, you've got me there."

"No, no! I think it is much more important, however, to freely speak your mind than hide what you really feel, truly!" Starfire said quickly. Robin put his hand behind his head. "Really," she trailed off. "And there, I am off again, speaking far too quickly."

Robin raised an eyebrow, and lowered his hand. "Star, you're always great about saying just the right thing at the right time Think of all the fights that our team has avoided because of your interference."

"No," she sighed, tucking her hands under her legs. "No, you are wrong."

"What?" Robin asked.

"I am afraid I am not very good at finding the right thing to say at the right moment. If I was-" she cut off, looking Robin straight in the eye. He nodded, prompting her, but she turned away. "Never mind."

They sat in silence for a little while, neither of them sure of what to say, proving Starfire correct. She closely examined the rug in her room, seemingly fascinated with the intricate design of carpet fuzz. She wished with all heart and soul that she could just find a way to tell Robin how she felt. The trick was, she needed to find exactly _what_ she felt. She knew what she thought it was, but she wasn't completely sure.

Starfire had felt her heart race whenever Robin had come near, she had felt her breath catch in her throat as he smiled, and she had lain awake all night, tossing and turning at the thought of his arms wrapped around her. Her heart shattered when she discovered his betrayal as Red X, she would go into a fiery rage whenever someone mentioned Kitten, and she herself had almost been lost by Blackfire's manipulation. She had considered telling him before they had left for her home planet, to get it off her chest, but she had felt it was too late by then. Afterwards, she had lost her nerve, and remained silent.

Starfire suddenly looked up. "I am very sorry! You had something you wished to speak of."

Robin let a small sigh escape his lips. "Yeah…"

---

Raven lifted her eyes from her book. She would have sworn she heard something.

With a flash of gray, the squirrel leaped down to land at her feet. It chirped at her, cocking its head to get a better look at her. Raven scowled at it, trying to shoo it away with her feet, but the quick creature skirted out of the way. Raven took a breath, about to call to Cyborg to tell him that his foe was back, but decided against it. It would be fun to see how long it took him to notice the squirrel.

Cyborg cried with triumph as his car raced ahead of Beast Boy's. Beast Boy groaned, and pressed the buttons on his controller even faster, attempting to catch up.

The squirrel carefully approached Cyborg's foot, sniffing. It reached out with its paw and smacked the sole of his foot, then retreated as fast as it could. Because it was made of metal, and the animal's touch far too light, Cyborg didn't notice it. The squirrel advanced on the Titan's foot again, this time with more confidence. Raven rolled her eyes, then returned to her reading.

The squirrel, its poise restored, climbed onto the top of the metal man's foot. After Cyborg failed to realize even this, the creature got even braver. It scampered around to Cyborg's back, and clambered to his shoulder. The Titan still didn't acknowledge the animal's presence. The squirrel chattered happily, almost sinisterly, and then continued its trek upwards. It finally reached the top of Cyborg's head, and perched there, watching the screen where the Titans still competed.

"Yes!" cried Beast Boy as he regained the lead. Cyborg growled in his throat. Both boys continued to press the buttons rapidly, trying to best each other. Raven was again distracted from her book at the absurd look of the scene in front of her. She considered saying something to alert her friend to the creature that sat on his head, but again, decided against it.

"Ha, did you see that? This custom button for the turbo speed works like a charm!" Beast Boy said cheerfully.

"No way! The initial start phase we set it on definitely benefited the speed more than that!" Cyborg proclaimed.

"But didn't you see the thrust we got out of the first turn? We went flying! I think- hey Raven, what's wrong?" asked Beast Boy, turning to look at the dark girl behind him, concern written all over his face. Raven sat there, her features twisted into an odd look.

"I couldn't understand a word you two said… and not because it didn't make sense," she murmured. "I think I need to lie down." Both boys stared at her as she got up to prepare some herbal tea. Beast Boy and Cyborg shared a look, and the green Titan noticed the squirrel on his friend's head. He looked over at Raven again, and she shook her head slightly and smiled. Beast Boy smiled back, and they held each other's gaze.

'You look away first,' Raven thought, determination written all over her face. 'I'm not going to.'

'Staring contest, whoo!' was Beast Boy's simple thought.

'If I look away, I lose,' thought Raven to herself. 'I can't lose. If I lose, you win. You can't win. I won't lose to you. You're not right, you won't win.'

'What am I doing?' she asked herself, and blinked. Beast Boy smirked, the victory his. Raven tried to shake off a very strange feeling that had settled itself around her shoulders, but found that she couldn't. Beast Boy's lingering look, his dark green eyes… she couldn't shake them from her vision.

But before anything else could happen between them, Cyborg finally detected the creature on his head. "You little rat!" he screeched, reaching up to grab the squirrel. But the animal leapt through his fingers, and ran, chattering, towards the door. Cyborg jumped up, and ran to the cabinets, pulling out pots and pans, searching for his favorite. "I'll get you, Foamy!"

"Cy, you really don't have to catch the squirrel," Beast Boy informed his friend. "It would be fine to let the little guy find his own way out."

Cyborg turned abruptly to face his friend. He held up a finger. "Number one," he said. "No, it's not OK. I'm going to personally remove him from the Tower if it's the last thing I do." He lifted another finger. "And two: it's not 'the squirrel.' It's Da Squirrel."

"Wha-"

"Say it with me: 'Da Squirrel.'"

"Cyborg-"

"Say it!"

"'Da Squirrel," chorused Beast Boy and Raven dully, both showing levels of disinterest and annoyance.

"That's better," Cyborg said cheerfully. He plopped a pot onto his head with a resounding clang, then ran from the room. Beast Boy shook his head, then grabbed the remote and switched from the input channel to a regular cable channel. Raven picked up her book again, the distractions finally over, and she and Beast Boy got themselves comfortable on opposite ends of the couch, pretending not to notice the other, and each failing miserably at it.

---

Robin just stared at Starfire, completely unsure of how to phrase what he was about to say. It was so important, he couldn't mess up a single word.

"Robin, if you do not wish to say it, I will not require you to," Starfire said sympathetically.

"No, no, I will say it. I mean, I'll explain what I have to. I mean… I don't know. I'll just… say it, I guess."

Starfire looked at Robin, concern in her eyes. The object of her affections seemed troubled and uncertain. She wanted to help in any way possible.

"Well, Robin, do you wish for me to speak first? Might that help?" Starfire queried.

Robin smiled slightly. "Go ahead Star. Speak away."

"Robin, if this is bad news that you have for me, please do not worry about 'breaking it' on me. I would rather hear it straight from you, right now. I trust you, Robin. Please, do not feel guilt over anything."

'I hope it's not bad news,' Robin thought to himself, but he let Starfire continue.

"You have always been there for me Robin, and I feel as if recently, there is something going on that is not right. I would hate to think that something was tearing us apart. That… is something I could not handle. I have valued our friendship more than anything during my stay on Earth."

"Star, you know it means… just as much to me, right?" questioned Robin quietly. He felt very self-conscious, being new at opening up. His entire life, he had kept everything locked inside. He shifted nervously, uneasy at being so truthful. He wanted so much to be able to just say it, and get it off his chest, but he realized how delicate the situation really was.

Robin paused to let Starfire speak, but she didn't say anything. Looking into her eyes, Robin saw her waiting. He wasn't getting off the hook that easily.

"I really appreciate all you've done for me… for the entire team. You've held us together when things got really bad, and we would all really hate to lose you. We probably wouldn't make it. You saw it yourself, after that fight with Warp. The Titans fell apart. We need you, Star. You are so important to m- all of us, and we couldn't do without you. I know we should say it more often, but all of us keep so much inside. Raven, no one can ever get to talk, and you'd expect that. But Beast Boy and Cyborg… they lock themselves up more than we know. I'm still trying to figure the both of them out. But as hard as they are to decipher… I think you're the hardest."

Starfire cocked her head, curious. She didn't want to interrupt. She was afraid if she disturbed the moment, it would fade away before she had a chance to hear Robin say anything else. It was like the surface of a perfectly still pond; one ripple, and the glass-like plane of water would be gone. Starfire let Robin continue.

"I've always wondered how you've kept so upbeat this entire time. We've been through so much, and seen so many things, I don't know how you've managed to get past them all. It's an inspiration to the rest of us, believe me. We almost… feed off your energy when things get really bad. I hope it doesn't drain you too much, all of us being so dependent on your positive attitude."

Starfire let a hand drift to her heart, touched. "Robin… I had no idea," she practically whispered.

Robin smiled grimly. "You've held us together. That's why we can't let anything change you." Starfire looked down at her hands. "You have to stay the same for our sanity. And I'm sorry, 'cause I know it sounds really restricting. But we need you the way you are. You've filled a place in our home, our lives, and our hearts that no one else can fill."

Starfire felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes. It was a quality she disliked about herself. She always got so emotional. She felt weak because of it. She had cried many times since joining the Titans, and many, many times before it. But Starfire hated to be thought of as weak. She stood up from the bed and walked over to the window in her room. Gazing out at the bay, she could see the waves come slowly crashing into shore. It was very calming, and she used the time to regain her composure.

Robin watched her. Starfire could feel his eyes poring into her back, practically burning holes right through. "Please go on, Robin," she said softly. Robin could hear the waver in her voice, and was tempted to call the whole thing off, but realized that it was unavoidable. He would eventually have to say all this over again, if he didn't say it now.

"Star…"

"I am fine, truly. Please carry on."

Robin was still slightly hesitant. "You want five minutes?" he queried.

"No… I am 'OK,' as you say on Earth. I am just so… honored that I am held in such high quality among my friends."

"You really are, Starfire. You've been such a help to all of us. Before you arrived, Raven barely talked at all, except to insult us. And, well, she still does, but it really seems like you've been able to get her to open up… slightly. Which is a huge improvement," he added quickly. Starfire smiled.

"I mean, she would never have talked to any of us had you not helped her a long time ago. Heck, she even talks to Beast Boy now! Actually, quite a bit as of late. But that, that is something I might deem a miracle. I didn't see that one coming," Robin said, not really knowing where he was going with his speech.

Starfire giggled through her tears. "Oh, I did," she said slyly.

"Huh?"

"Ever since I have met them, I have seen… something there. I do not know what to call it, truthfully. I do not even think they know it is there, let alone what it is. But I think they are both too stubborn to say anything about it."

"Well have to fix that, then," Robin said, grinning. Starfire turned to face him briefly, nodding, then faced the window once more.

"I am sorry, Robin, you were speaking. Do continue."

"Well… yeah, Beast Boy and Cyborg always used be hot-headed before you arrived. They'd always be at odds with each other. They were friends, don't get me wrong, but they liked to compete a little bit too much for their own good. They'd always end up in little brawls, trying to figure out who was stronger, Cyborg or any animal form Beast Boy came up with. Then you showed up, and put them in their place. Without even realizing it, you showed them you were stronger than the both of them. That really shut them up. You should have heard them the first few days you were with us." Robin smiled, remembering the fond memories. "They'd always ask, 'How can she be so strong? How is she doing that?'"

"I was only performing to the best of my abilities. Is that not what we should strive for?" Starfire questioned, still gazing out the window.

"Absolutely! They were just surprised that your best happened to be better than theirs. They'd never met someone like you before. Neither have I," he said, smiling. Starfire still watched the waves below and couldn't see him.

"Star… I know it's a burden we've all put on you, expecting so much from you… but we wouldn't be able to deal with you changing on us. Seriously, you're the stability of the team."

Starfire folded her arms across her side, then propped on arm up, holding her chin in her palm. "I do not want anything to change either. Robin, this team means very much to me." 'You mean very to me,' she thought, but didn't dare speak it aloud.

Robin slowly stood up, one hand still resting on the bed. "You mean very much to this team, Star."

"I often wondered if I would be able to truly fit into this way of life. When I first arrived on this planet, it was all very new and strange to me… and more than a little frightening. Although I have been here for a long time now, there are still many customs I am unfamiliar with, many rituals I do not fully comprehend, and many slang terms I do not understand. But I think that is all right. No native to this planet could ever truly identify with the rituals of Tameran. I think it's meant to be like that… we are not supposed to be able to fully pick apart anyone or anything."

Robin took a few steps closer, approaching very cautiously.

"If we ever were to do that," Starfire said, letting her arm fall and wrap around herself. "We would ruin the mystery of whatever it was we did that to, be it a person, a thing, or an idea. It is true, we are supposed to analyze some things… if we did not, we could never show our appreciation properly. But there are some things… friendship, love, people… they deserve their mysteries."

Robin drew closer.

"In ancient times on my planet, we had many religious customs. We believed in stories passed down from generation to generation. They comforted us… they helped us feel important. Since then, however, times have changed. Tameranians have come to the conclusion that the gods must reside in a higher plane, one that we cannot ever reach. Many Tameranians now believe that since we cannot attain this higher level, it is irrelevant that we try to. However, that does not mean that the gods to do not matter to us. They are more like our infinite protectors, those who we cannot see or touch but know they are there. Although we can never meet them face to face, we know they are there, watching over us. Instead, the teachings have now changed to emphasize personal bests."

Robin drew even nearer, nodding in agreement. Starfire could see neither movement.

"When we are children, we are taught that every single being, from the largest to the smallest, must try their hardest to become the best thing that they can be. There are many stories from the ancient times that feature X'hal, the most powerful of our gods, and other who he encouraged to do their best, in ways of varying nature. Whether or not these stories are true does not matter; they achieve their goal. Tameranian youth always try their hardest to attain their own highest level."

Robin stepped forward once more, his eyes never leaving the red-headed beauty's figure.

"There is a word for it on my planet," Starfire said thoughtfully. "But I do not think its meaning holds perfectly true. It is lost in translation." She let her eyes wander over towards the mainland and the busy traffic and pedestrians in the streets. They were all calmly going about their business, every person living a life of their own. "I think the best I can come up with is 'comfort zone,'" she decided on. "But that is not quite right."

"Like your own niche in life?" Robin asked from directly behind her. Starfire was startled at the close proximity, but did not let it show. She turned to finally face the Boy Wonder.

"Yes… yes, that is correct. That is much better than mine."

Robin nodded thoughtfully. "I think that's pretty much what everyone wants out of life. They all want to discover the one place in life they truly belong. Whether it's standing out in the crowd, or blending in, it's still your own space and no one else can take it."

Starfire slipped her hand into Robin's and began pulling on his arm. "I wish to show you something," she said.

Robin allowed himself to be dragged across the room. Starfire released the boy in front of her dresser. She slid open a drawer and began to dig through it.

'Where is it?' Starfire thought to herself as she shifted the contents of the dresser. Lifting a large box, she let out a cry of triumph.

"Here!" she exclaimed happily, retrieving a small picture. She held it out to her teammate and he took it, a look of curiosity on his face.

"When was this taken?" he asked. The picture showed the Teen Titans, not long after their roster was filled. The strange thing about it was that all of the members of the team were included in it, which was a rare feat. Most of the time, one of the Titans was forced to sit the picture out, having to be the one to actually snap the photo.

"If I remember correctly, we asked a young woman enjoying the resources of the park as well to take this picture," Starfire answered, leaning over Robin's shoulder for a better look. She pointed to herself in the photograph. She stood with a huge grin all over her face, simply pleased to be outside in the fresh air with her friends. It didn't take much to make the girl smile. Next to her was Robin, a small smile adorning his face, almost a smirk. Beast Boy stood beside him, making a cheesy grin at the camera, forever playing one big joke with the world. Raven scowled off to the side next to him. Cyborg stood behind them all, making a peace sign above all their heads.

Starfire tapped herself again. "That is where I belong. Between all my friends. I know I meant to stay there."

Robin tore his eyes away from the picture to look at Starfire's emerald eyes. "That's exactly where you belong," he said, smiling. Starfire beamed back. Robin looked down again at the picture, nodding.

"It is where we all belong," Starfire sighed happily. At that moment, however, she felt a warm grip on her arm. Robin had gently placed his hand on her upper arm, holding onto her.

"You know how you can tell when something feels right?" he asked, looking straight into her eyes once more.

Starfire nodded mutely, at a loss of what to say.

"This does…" Robin whispered, leaning in closer. The space between their faces grew smaller and smaller, each teenager waiting with bated breath. Starfire's heartbeat seemed to grow louder, pounding in her ears. Time had stopped completely. All that existed was that very moment and they were both trapped in it, the only way out finishing what Robin had started.

He was so close, Robin could see every speck of light that danced in Starfire's eyes. They were the most beautiful things he'd ever seen in his entire life. And as he thought this, it wasn't like those sappy romance movies where the hero dipped the damsel in distress over and kissed her passionately. Yeah, he certainly wouldn't say 'no' to that, but it was different than that. It was something too pure to taint with such trivial nonsense.

Their noses almost touched. Starfire slowly let her eyes fall shut, and Robin did the same a beat later. All they would need to do is both lean in just a little more-

Suddenly, a very loud, very obnoxious sniffing noise could be heard at the bottom of the doorway. They pulled away almost as if they had been electrified. The door slid open to reveal Cyborg, crawling on all fours and sniffing heavily at the door.

"Cy-"

"I smell him!" Cyborg cried vehemently. "I know he's here somewhere!" Scampering forward on his hands and knees, he thrust his head under Starfire's bed, completely oblivious to what he had just interrupted. Again.

"Um…" Starfire said quietly, unsure of what to make of the entire situation.

"Hey Foamy, where are you?" Cyborg baby-talked, crawling deeper into the depths under the bed. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

"I should go," Robin said almost inaudibly, and turned and fled from the room. Starfire was too dazed to say anything. She just watched him go.

Cyborg pulled his head out from under the bed, a ring of dust clinging to his chin. "What's with him?"

-----

Author's Notes: Augh, this should have been up Monday. I was just so busy, I never got around to posting it. Sorry about that! However, I will get the next chapter up as soon as possible. I have it mapped out, so it shouldn't take me too long. I have a project to do today, but yeah… anyway, I am also trying to crank out as many one shots as possible (they've been flooding my brain, and I have to get them written before I forget all my ideas, hehe). So yes, the next chapter should be up soon, as long as I have fingers to type with.

Anyway, here are the review replies!

Change-Of-Heart2- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, and I hope you liked this one too!

Jade-Monsoons- Thank you for reading! I'm glad to hear that you really enjoyed my story enough to review during your rampage. I'm also happy you like the Slade scenes. I always try to make them as funny as possible, and I'm glad to hear my really strange sense of humor is being enjoyed! Also, I'm pleased to hear you enjoy the BB/R scenes! They're such an awesome couple, and I hope I'm doing them justice! Anyway, great to hear you liked the story thus far, and hopefully you liked this chapter as well!

rising-terminator6- Thanks for your comments! I'm glad to hear you liked the Slade moment, hope this last one was up to par! Anyway, thanks for the encouragement with the fight scene. I had never written one before, and I'm glad it didn't completely bomb out! And as always, glad to hear that you enjoyed the fluff moments! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

starrobin4eva- Thank you for reading! I'm happy that you liked last chapter, and that you're a R/S fan! Also, glad to hear to the Slade portions are satisfying the reader. Anyway, hopefully you liked this last chapter!

UnOrthodox- Thanks for reviewing! However, it seems they keep getting cut off. But I have certainly liked and appreciated what there was there, and I'm also just happy that you took the time to leave a review! Hope you enjoyed this last chapter!

ScarletAngel68- Whee, another long review! Hehe, I tried to update this quickly, but I think I failed… ah well, the next one _will_ be up sooner than this one was… is… huh? Haha, yes, please, come drop my teachers down a well (ingenious idea, by the way, I hadn't thought of it before). I seem to incorporate a lot of my own personal stuff into my chapters inadvertently. My stupid Microsoft Works can't keep up with my typing, so it'll freak out and freeze on me. That definitely inspired Robin's troubles. Haha, so true, the squirrel is of the most importance. I hope there was enough of it in this chapter to make its fans happy! (The squirrel has more fans than I do…) Haha, yes, I had an idea for what Drake was going to crave in the metal, but I kind of forgot… and then it didn't matter. It can be anything you want! I'm glad you picked up on the stupidity of his name! I was originally going to name them after the Pokemon I designed them after (being the nerd that I am) but decided against it. Yeah, yeah, that sentence could be interpreted in many different ways. Yeah, I gotta watch that, hehe. Also, you get brownie points! _throws multiple brownies_ you discovered which villain he was copying! It was Gizmo! Haha, glad you liked Raven's technique! Hehe, to be honest, the French doctor was totally, completely out of the blue. No idea where he came from… but I'm glad he was amusing! Yeah, what Cyborg said in "Nevermore" keeps coming back to me. ("At least she listens. I just kinda tune you out.") I always thought that was so sweet of her, so I had to put it in! Hahaha, I LOVED your Slade song. Pure genius! I'm very glad that you like Slade so much! Hehe, I've always seen that the rules of the normal world don't apply to crazy people, so Slade can jump into fountains and not hit the bottom. I don't quite know how, but he does! Yes, you are the Review Goddess _bows properly_ Hehe, fine, we shall ignore the fact that the entire world is without a sequel from you… hehe. Yeah, I study for my all my subjects… it's the first year I've ever done so, and it annoys me to no end. I really don't want to, but I know I should… oh well, someday I'll smack all my teachers over the head. Haha, yes! We should totally make shrines, I mean, go to Cartoons Anonymous! T'would be the bomb! Haha, good times, good times… and whoa, this review response is massive! Me thinks I best end it before it takes up a whole page… anyway, hope you liked this chapter!

warprince2000- Thank you for your comments! I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and I hope you liked the last chapter!

Regrem Erutaerc- Thanks for reading! Great to hear you like it thus far. Hehe, yes, there _is_ an actual reason for Slade being so crazy, don't worry! I like your idea, however… I may tweak it a bit, or something… hmm. I had an plan, but I'm not quite sure. Well, I'll see when I get there, but never fear, there is a cause! Haha, Slade is schizophrenic! He's got to learn to get control over his split personality! As for the BB/R moments, there shall be a nice heaping amount very, very soon! I'm getting the Robin and Starfire together, then focusing more on Raven and Beast Boy. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

rae1112- Thank you for reading! I'm glad you liked the Slade parts, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Starxfire- Thank you for your comments! Happy to hear that you liked the Slade bits! Yes, Foamy was awesome, so I had to use it. Anyway, that's great you're working on two stories! Good luck with them, and let me know when you get them up! Haha, Cyborg is trying so hard to play matchmaker, then messes it all up. But I guess you'll just have to see what happens! Augh, yes, school is annoying, but vacation is fast approaching! Anyway, hopefully you liked this chapter!

Terra Basher- Thank you for reviewing! I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying this story! I hope you liked the latest chapter!

Slayergirl1362- Thanks for your comments! Haha, my review responses seem to be getting quite long… but I love writing them, so I shall continue! Hehe, I'm glad to hear my fight scene didn't put the Teen Titans to shame. I hope that my fight scenes improve from here! Anyway, hopefully you enjoyed this last chapter!

airhead123- Thank you for reading! Glad to hear you liked the story thus far, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Kayo-the-black-sheep- Thanks for your comments! Haha, I love your name! Anyway, I'm happy to hear that you've enjoyed the story, and hopefully you liked this latest chapter!

Metal Dragon1- Thanks for your comments! I'm happy to hear that you like the story! Also glad to hear that Foamy's got his set of fans, hehe. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

luvlifecharm- Thank you for reading! I'm glad you like the story, and hopefully you enjoyed this last chapter!

PerrinGeye- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like the story thus far. Hehe, I have taken your advice into account, thanks for it! I like Starfire will become quite enlightened next chapter… but I'm afraid you'll just have to wait to see what I mean! Also, great to hear you're enjoying Slade! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

crazychild101- Thank you for your comments! It's great to hear that you like the story! I'm really honored you've put me on your Favorites, thanks so much! Anyway, I hope you liked the latest chapter!

anonomys- Thank you for reading! Hmm, that's odd that you couldn't keep reading… if you leave me your e-mail, I'll send you the chapters you missed. Unfortunately, I couldn't send anything to you before… you didn't leave a way to contact you. But I would be more than happy to send you the chapters! Anyway, I hope you were able to read this chapter!

pamy- Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you enjoyed the story! Hopefully you liked this chapter too!

SushiChica- Thank you for reviewing! Haha, I was able to use your idea for Slade in this chapter, and I think it came out great, thanks for the idea! Also, thank you so much for your wonderful comments… they _really_ warmed my heart. You're too nice! _grins_ But ugh, grounding stinks… although, I've never been grounded… I usually can convince my parents it does no good. But anyway, I'm glad you found the last chapter amusing! I wasn't quite sure how it would come out, with the fight scene and all, but it seems, judging by the reviews I got, I didn't totally mess up. And never fear, I love long reviews! They really let me know what the reader is thinking. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter, and that you're not grounded anymore!

p90wraith- Thanks for your comments! I'm happy to hear that you found the story so funny, I'm glad I'm making some people laugh! Hopefully you found this chapter as amusing!

MirandaOtto- Thank you for reading! Also, thanks for your very kind comments. Hehe, ol' Abe needs to learn his place and not mock poor Slade. But I'm really glad you find him so funny! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!

heX- Thank you for reviewing! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the story thus far. Haha, yes, Slade is QUITE random in this story. You're right, he is OOC, but there is a reason, which you shall discover later on. Also, good to know that you're enjoying the tension between the couples… I always love to hear I'm not totally screwing it up… I worry that I am, like, destroying them. But anyway, you'll have to wait and see what happens with Cyborg's love life! Hopefully you liked this chapter!

StaROb14765- Thanks for your comments! Glad to hear that Slade is making you laugh! I think if he ever acted like that in the show, Robin would go into cardiac arrest! Which, while bad, would also be kinda funny. Hehe, anyway, I hope you liked the latest chapter!

scubagurl- Thank you for reading! I'm glad to hear you like the story thus far! Expect quite a bit to do with the crystal to surface soon, and as for the squirrel… well, all I can say is you'll find out soon enough! (At least, I hope I'll get the chapters up soon enough…) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

M.E. Pal- Thanks for reviewing! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the fight scene, I was afraid I completely messed it up. And don't worry about a scene you wrote, I'm sure it turned out better than you think! Also, I'm glad you are enjoying how Robin and Starfire interact. I'm trying very hard to keep everyone in character, and I hope I am succeeding at that, at least! Also, you gave me an idea for a new Slade part! I was reading your very nice review, when something you said reminded me of a Get Fuzzy comic I read once (I love that comic strip). I think it shall appear next chapter! Thanks for the idea, and I hope you like the latest chapter!

Whew, that was a lot. I am so completely honored! _pokes review counter_ That can't be right. You guys are WAY too nice to me. I am not worthy. To thank you for it, I shall update as soon as physically possible! Right now, sadly, I must go get a mug shot- I mean, Christmas picture taken outside. In the cold. With my dog. Who's crazy. I love the holidays!

Hehe, no really, I do love the holidays, but I just have so much do around Christmas time… so very little free time to write! Ah well, I will update as soon as I can, hang in there, dear readers! But while you wait, you might give me an early Christmas gift… _"subtly" points to review button_


	10. Finally Found You

Author's Notes: I hope everyone had a fun and restful holiday break! I know I sure did.

Anyway, here is a very interesting chapter, I can tell you that. A lot of people have asked me to include more BB/R. Certainly, the level of it shall rise dramatically, but probably the most after this chapter. This chapter will be a turning point. Look for a huge amount BB/R coming up. Maybe here, maybe a little after. But don't worry, there will be a _ton_!

Also, this chapter's Slade scene comes from a couple different places. I was originally going to do something else, but then I thought of an idea which (I hope) is better. At first, starrobin4eva sent a review in about an idea similar, but not as an official "Slade plan." Now recently, M.E. Pal left a review about the same thing as an idea for Slade. So I feel both of them deserve credit. Thank you both! I hope everyone enjoys this!

Again, I encourage all you guys out there to send in your own Slade ideas! Slade needs you! Hehe, seriously, I'd love to hear some ideas of yours, and if you think of something, send it in!

Anyway, I won't bore you with a long author's note. Review replies are at the bottom, and here is the chapter!

-----

Chapter 10: Finally Found You

Stomping through the halls, Robin let out a string of curses. He cracked his knuckles as he rounded the corner, still fuming.

"Hey, Robin!" Beast Boy said, passing the Boy Wonder. As Robin brushed by him, Beast Boy caught snatches of what he was mumbling, and was shocked that there _were_ such words in the English language. "Well, my vocabulary has been… enhanced," Beast Boy said light-heartedly, but Robin appeared not to have heard.

Robin continued to growl swears and other obscene words as Beast Boy waved at him. "Nice talking to you too!" he called down the hall at Robin's retreating back.

Robin stormed into the kitchen where Raven sat reading, enjoying a mug of herbal tea. She twirled her finger lazily over the spoon in the tea, and, encased in black energy, the spoon stirred her drink. Robin ignored Raven completely, and reached the refrigerator with a huff. He swung the door open with a little more force than necessary, and reached in to grab a leg of chicken leftover from dinner a few nights ago. Sitting himself down at the table, he began to gnaw of the still-cold chicken.

"Um… what are you doing?"

Robin turned slowly to look at the dark girl, his face plastered with a look of annoyance. He ripped off a large chunk of the leg, chewing slowly and thoroughly. Raven wrinkled her nose in disgust and got up, taking her book and mug with her.

Robin ate steadily, his temper rising with it. If Cyborg hadn't come in…

A new thought struck Robin. Maybe Cyborg saved him. Maybe he would have gone along with what he'd been about to do and kissed Starfire, and she would have hated him for it. He could just picture her angry eyes, glaring at him as she pushed him away forcefully.

Robin suddenly felt the chicken catch in his throat. He didn't want to even consider that possibility. He really wanted to know what Starfire would have said or done had he actually gone through with what he was planning to do.

Robin put his face in his hands and kneaded his temples with his knuckles. What he could really use was a nice big book on the inner workings of the female mind.

He looked up, an idea forming in his brain. Maybe there _was_ one. He would ask Raven. He got up and scampered from the kitchen, following after the dark girl.

Just as the door slid closed behind him, another door on the opposite side of the room opened. Starfire entered, looking downcast. She eyed the leg of half-eaten chicken on the table, then moved on to get herself a glass of water. She sipped it slowly, contemplating what had just occurred.

Robin had entered her room. He said he had something to talk about, but they hadn't really gotten to it. They seemed to keep getting sidetracked. Starfire let a small smile grace her features as she realized that it was a very good thing that she and Robin could talk for so long.

He had always been such a help to her ever since her arrival on Earth. Robin had never let her become lost or confused throughout her entire stay. She owed him so much. She had always felt she had been unable to properly show her gratitude.

'Would it be so wrong of me to ask one more thing of him?' she thought to herself, placing her cup in the sink. 'Would it be so wrong of me to ask him to love me?'

Finding no answers to her questions in the sink, Starfire turned to leave the room. But at that same moment, Cyborg burst through the door, squawking like mad. Starfire was surprised, but quickly regained her composure.

"Get it off!" Cyborg screeched, waving his arms over his head. "Bad Foamy!" The squirrel was scrambling up and down Cyborg's face, scratching at him.

Starfire immediately flew to her friend's rescue. She grabbed the squirrel, and before it could bite her, dropped it. It squeaked as it hit the ground, then flew off down the hall.

"Argh!" cried Cyborg, as he ran after the beast.

---

"What do you mean, 'you don't have one?'" Robin demanded.

"Just what I said. I don't have a book on the female brain."

"But you have everything in a book!"

Raven rolled her eyes from behind her door, open a crack. "You sound like Beast Boy. So naïve." Robin frowned. Raven continued, "If you want to understand how a girl's mind works -- like Starfire's, for example -- you're gonna have to actually work at it."

"Well, obviously-"

"So even if I did have a book like that, I wouldn't give it to you."

Robin turned and leaned against the wall. "So what am I supposed to do?"

"Try talking to her," Raven said sarcastically. "Like I said before." She slid the door open fully to stare at the Boy Wonder.

"That… didn't quite work." Robin sighed. "It… almost did… kind of… I don't know."

Raven watched her leader's face, trying to discern his meaning. He was obviously lost in thought, but he wasn't saying enough for her to figure out what actually happened.

Raven felt a small rush of pity for her leader. His predicament was something every teenager went through, yes, but it was especially hard for him. If he were to mess anything up, he would be reminded of it every day, since he lived with Starfire. The tiny pang of sympathy caused Raven to sigh and Robin to look up.

"What?" he asked. A hint of sadness came through in his voice.

The shimmer of pity grew, much to Raven's annoyance. "OK, OK, what do you want?"

"Can _you_ talk to her? You could tell her… let her know… um…" Robin's voice faded. "It's hopeless, isn't it?"

"No, it's not hopeless. Don't say that. I'll talk to her," Raven said quickly. She was desperate for Robin not to lose hope. If he did, it might never happen, and where would the both of them be? Neither of them realized it, but they needed each other. Raven, as much she hated to admit it, didn't want two of her friends to suffer unnecessarily. She was pleased to see a smile finally stretch across her leader's face.

"Really? Thanks." Then he stopped, and looked at the ground again. "Not that it'll make a difference anyway."

He turned and began to walk down the hall, shuffling his feet as he went. "It will work!" Raven called after him, but Robin appeared not to notice.

Raven watched him go, then swore under her breath. This was going to be harder than she thought.

'How am I supposed to help them when I don't know what I'm doing?' she though to herself, massaging her temples. She shook her head slightly, as if to clear her thoughts. She decided to meditate before she tried to accomplish anything.

Raven closed her door behind her, then started walking down the hall to the main room again. If no one was in there, she would meditate there. If not, she would seek peace and quiet elsewhere.

'How can I help them?' Raven thought. 'What do you need to do to make something like that happen? I have no idea. Why did he have to come to me? What do I know about love?'

"Watch out!" a voice cried from in front of her. Raven snapped back to reality just in time to avoid a collision with a huge box. Beast Boy, on the other hand, was not so lucky, and fell as flat on his face as possible for someone who fell on top of a box.

"Ow," he mumbled, getting up. He then examined his box and clapped his hands to his head. "Ahh! No! I needed that!" The cardboard fiend had a large dent in it, and what seemed like compact discs were spilling out everywhere.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked in a bored tone.

"I was _going_ to go through all these games that don't have cases anymore. I was gonna put the ones we want to keep in spare ones, and give away the rest, but now I can't!" Beast Boy explained, all in one breath.

Raven rolled her eyes as Beast Boy fell to his knees, mourning the loss of the box. "Give me that," she said impatiently. She knelt down beside her teammate and grabbed the box, spilling the rest of its contents on the ground, with a gasp of protest from Beast Boy.

Raven began to pick at the masking tape on the box from when it was previously packaged shut. Finally, she was able to lift a corner with her nail, and peeled the entire strip off carefully. It was still slightly sticky, and she managed to patch up the side that had burst. Beast Boy watched her in awe.

"There," she said, setting the box down. "That should hold as long as you need it."

"You are a genius," Beast Boy said, his eyes shining and his voice hushed. Raven rolled her eyes again, but couldn't help the slight tinge of red that came to her face.

"Whatever," muttered Raven, and she began tossing the discs back into the newly repaired box. Beast Boy scrambled to help. As they both reached for a small pile, their hands brushed, and they both pulled back quickly. Beast Boy laughed sheepishly and Raven only nodded.

"What is this?" Raven asked, holding up a gray cartridge and reading the label. "'A Boy And His Blob?'"

"Ah, a classic!" Beast Boy said, carefully taking it from the dark girl's hands. "You feed the blob a different flavored jelly bean and he does something… different each time."

"So what's the point of it?" inquired Raven. Beast Boy shrugged. "Well, didn't you beat it?" Beast Boy shook his head.

"You can't save the game, so I was never able to sit long enough to figure it all out. And besides, it wasn't exactly the most high-tech game, so you can only play it for so long-"

"Whatever," Raven interrupted, but she was smiling slightly. "I get it. You couldn't beat it. It was too hard for you."

"Hey, wait a-"

"I guess you'll just have to give it to Cyborg for him to beat."

"Hey, time out! I'm a way better gamer than he is! I'll show you, I'll beat this stupid thing in five hours, you just watch me." Beast Boy savagely threw the last handful of games into the box and precariously balanced it in his arms once more. He stumbled down the hallway until he was out of sight, his insane mumblings drifting down the hall towards Raven, who still knelt on the floor, grinning. She stood up and dusted herself off.

She stood still for a moment, recollecting her thoughts. 'Oh, yeah. What do I know about love…'

---

Robin grunted as he continued to pummel the punching bag. Each muffled thump seemed to tease him, as if mocking him and his failure. The punching bag swayed tauntingly, laughing at the Boy Wonder. And he hated being laughed at.

'Why couldn't I just tell her?' he demanded in his own mind. 'Was is really that hard?'

He landed another good hit on the beaten bag, and it swung wildly. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead, staining his mask.

'You're weak,' he told himself. 'I can't believe it. I've tried so hard my entire life not to be afraid of anything, and it turns out I can't even muster up enough courage to talk to a girl. Wow. That's pathetic. I'm pathetic. I can't believe this.'

The hinges groaned dangerously above Robin's head. The bag was becoming weak and unstable, but the teen didn't even notice.

'You've fought tons of villains and you're still scared,' Robin berated himself. 'You try so hard to beat the bad guy, to save the day, to stay in control, yet you can't even control your love life. How sad is that?'

Robin swung around and kicked the bag with all his might. It flew backwards and came hurtling forward again to meet a flurry of Robin's fists.

Starfire carefully peered around the edge of the doorway. Robin was in the weight room, beating a punching bag to a pulp. She coughed, but the object of her affections didn't hear. He did, however, swing around again to get a better angle at the bag, and Starfire whipped her head out of sight. A sudden wave of nerves had washed over the girl. She stared at her feet again, then clenched her fists, steeling her will.

'Stupid. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid,' Robin chanted in his head. His mental criticism fell into rhythm with the hammering beat of his heart, the panting of his breath as his lungs screamed for air. He was working harder than he had in a long time, frustration and self-loathing fueling his muscles.

The punching bag had given up. At one more good kick from Robin, it flew off its hinges and crashed into the opposite wall, spewing saw dust everywhere. Robin coughed once, then stormed out of the room in the opposite direction of Starfire. He still hadn't noticed her.

Starfire waited for the dust to settle, staring at the lump of a punching bag on the floor, looking dejected. The alien girl felt tears well up in her eyes. Robin had built his walls up so high, they were nearly impossible to breach. She had been so close to causing them to fall, she could taste it. But the opportunity was lost before she could get in. She didn't hold any resentment towards Cyborg; it wasn't in Starfire's nature to hold grudges. She knew that the blame could only lie partially on her teammate. He had interrupted them then, but Starfire had had many other chances to tell Robin, and she had not taken advantage of them. She knew she was to blame for that.

Suddenly, crashes from behind her alerted Starfire that she was not alone. She turned towards the door. She could hear cries, but couldn't understand them. But as the source of the noise grew closer, Starfire was able to interpret the sounds, and a feeling of dread filled her stomach.

"I've got you now!"

"Cyborg, stop!"

"It's not even _here_!"

"I know he's somewhere, gotta find, gotta find, gotta find-"

"No! Stop!"

Cyborg burst through the door, causing Starfire to jump back. She hesitated, however, when she saw the extremely strange sight before her. Cyborg had a crazed look in his eyes, and was staring around the room with the intensity of a dog on the trail of a rabbit. But even more curiously, he had somehow strung up Beast Boy and Raven and was toting them on his back in a sort of sling. They both looked dazed and windswept, which would explain why neither of them had used their powers to remove themselves from their current position.

"Hey Star! Guess what! We're following the squirrel! Isn't that great?" Cyborg said, turning his mad look towards Starfire.

"Oh…"

"Get out while you can!" Beast Boy called.

"You can help!" Cyborg cried cheerfully. He swung his two friends in front of him, knocking their heads together and causing them to both let out a cry of, "Oof!" He loosened the rope binding them together, but before either of them could escape, he swung the length of rope around Starfire's waist and tightened it. She was pulled towards her friends in an unceremonious clump.

Starfire had shown from very early on in her stay with the Titans that she was extremely emotional. She was often trying to get everyone to open up more, to be able to express themselves to the world. While the Titans didn't often agree to her complies, they still greatly appreciated her concern. Whenever they happened to open up and smile a bit more, Starfire was exuberant. She was also extremely happy when they agreed to her famous "group hugs." But at the moment, Starfire was definitely _not_ thrilled to be crushed between two teammates who could barely see straight, strapped to the back of a third friend.

"C'mon guys, we eat tonight!" Cyborg cried, whipping out a spatula from who-knows-where.

"Ew!" moaned Beast Boy, and Cyborg whirled around again, speeding backwards, carrying Starfire even farther and farther away from where she wanted to be.

"We can't eat a squirrel!" Beast Boy said, bumping along, his feet dragging on the ground. Were he not a changeling, his face would have appeared quite green. Not that it wasn't already, obviously. "That's just sick. Squirrels are our friends."

"Speak for yourself," Raven said scathingly. "This one has caused more trouble in a few days than you have in your whole stay here. And that's really saying something."

"But I have to get back to my game!" Beast Boy protested. "I left it on 'pause' and I have to beat it!"

"That's all you're concerned about?" Raven demanded, trying to ignore the fact that she had just become pressed up against Beast Boy's front, her hair covering his face. Starfire was crammed on the other side of her, the Tameranian girl's eyes wide.

Beast Boy tried to blow Raven's hair out of his face, but it didn't work. "Hey, you started about that game!"

"I was just teasing you!" said Raven exasperatedly. She paused. "Wait, I was _what_? What is wrong with me?"

'He is a moron, you do not tease morons, it isn't nice…' Raven commanded herself.

"Hey Raven, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "Ha ha. Like I've never heard that one before."

"I've never heard you be sarcastic before," Raven said thoughtfully.

"Really? Um… I guess I'm not that sarcastic… am I?"

"Whatever. What's your question?"

Beast Boy paused. "Is this your real hair color?"

Before Raven could retort, Cyborg came to a screeching halt, causing his baggage to go flying. At first, his friends were confused at his sudden stop, but they soon discovered the cause of Cyborg's distraction.

The phone was ringing.

"The phone never rings!" Beast Boy cried. However, the green Titan was wrong, and Cyborg picked it up as if everything were completely casual.

"Heyo."

"Hey!" came a voice through the wire. Cyborg recognized it as the voice of Alanna, the tall girl he had met in the museum. "This is Alanna!"

"Oh, I figured that out!" Cyborg laughed. He leaned against the counter, looking completely nonchalant. He seemed to have forgotten about his teammates, sprawled on the ground, tangled up in rope.

"So how exactly did you get this number?" questioned Cyborg. Alanna giggled.

"It's not exactly a secret where you live, so it's not that hard to look it up in the phone book."

"We're in the phone book? I didn't know that."

"Yup, they've got you right here!" Alanna said happily.

"Well, I'm surprised we don't get more calls then!" Cyborg said, laughing. Meanwhile, his friends were beginning to regain their footing. Raven stood up slowly, her head spinning. She gritted her teeth, clutching her forehead.

"I'm going to make some more tea," she groaned, shuffling towards the kitchen area slowly, so as not to worsen her headache. Beast Boy got up too, and shook his head, but it didn't seem to help.

"I want some too," he murmured, staggering after her.

Starfire quickly took to he air, nursing her head as well. She watched Cyborg carefully, edging towards the door, then as he turned, she flew off as quickly as possible.

Cyborg twisted his finger around the cord, weaving into the loops. "So, what's up?"

"Nothing really," Alanna said. "We're just hanging out, and we thought we'd give you a call."

"How's Ivy?" asked Cyborg.

"She's good. She's… walking our dog right now."

"What's the pooch's name?"

"Um… Oliver," Alanna said quickly.

"Oliver?" came a voice from the background, but it was quickly muffled. Alanna coughed.

"They just got back," Alanna explained. "And, well…"

"OK, this isn't really our dog," Cyborg heard Ivy pick up another phone. "We… found him."

"Hey, I'm not gonna ask. You don't have to worry," Cyborg assured them.

"Thanks." He could hear the relief in Alanna's voice.

"Anyway, there is something you ought to know," Ivy said. "You know how we said that scientist discovered the Sangrian Crystal?"

"Yeah."

"Well, he died. About a year ago."

"Wow. That's not good."

"Well, obviously not good that he's dead," Alanna added. "But… this sounds mean, but it might not matter, you know?"

"He might have left his research behind somewhere. It's possible he kept it in a personal lab, or sold it elsewhere. We're not really sure, but we're trying our best to find out."

"Well, that's good to-"

Suddenly, Cyborg heard a loud crash in the background. There was the tinkling of shattering glass, then a grunt of surprise from Ivy. "Crap, the dog broke something, gotta go, bye!" Alanna cried and Cyborg heard a click. He winced, hoping whatever it was the dog had broken wasn't too valuable.

Cyborg hung up the phone, then turned around, ready to resume the squirrel chase. But as he prepared to scoop his friends up again, he noticed them all missing.

"Hey, where'd everybody go?"

---

"Oh no!" cried Slade, his one visible eye wide with shock. "Is he going to make it!?"

He peered closer at the huge screen in front of him. His hands shook as he grabbed a clump popcorn from the bowl perched on the arm of his chair. He shoved the popcorn onto his mouth, but since he had his mask on, all that he accomplished was crushing tiny bits of popcorn into the slits, giving him a very messy look.

"Um, sir?" Someone tapped Slade on the shoulder. The villain turned to see a pimply teenager with buck teeth.

"Isn't this exciting?" Slade asked excitedly, motioning to the screen he sat in front of.

Slade was sitting in a huge electronics display at the local "everything" store. Slade had eagerly ran through the watch, beach equipment, and women's underwear departments to get to the furniture section. There, he had moved a huge recliner into the electronics place and sat it in front of the display of a wide screen TV. All the monitors in the area played and replayed a commercial for a faster Internet connection. To represent the unreliability of other programs, the commercial depicted a man jumping off the edge of a cliff. The image froze in mid-fall and the question, "Do you know that your Internet connection is reliable all of the time?" came across the screen. The commercial then cut to scenes of constantly smiling people using their computers with the particular brand of program being advertised. Finally, the man who had leapt from the cliff was shown to be a bungee jumper, who smiled as he approached the camera, bringing forth a cheer from Slade.

"Oh look! He did it!" Slade said happily.

"But sir, I don't think you're allowed to have this stuff here. This chair belongs in our other department, and you didn't pay for the popcorn. And where'd you cook the it anyway?" the boy questioned. Slade turned around.

"Well," Slade said conversationally. He sat up and turned around on the chair. He carefully read the boy's pin: 'Stan.' "Well, Rich, I am Slade."

"My name's not-"

"Because I am Slade, I have the power to do as I please! I am like liquid water, slipping through the cracks of society!"

"But water already is-"

"I have the strength of a wild boar, and looks to match!"

"Well, that's not-"

"I am the master of all you see before you! This is my world, and you just live in it! You must obey my every command! And if you try to stop me, I shall send down my wrath upon you like a crocodile on a cactus!"

"That doesn't even make-"

"A cactus!" Slade screeched. He raised his fist and Stan ducked, throwing his arms over his head. "Ooh!" cried Slade, and he slid back down, his eye one the screen again. "Will he make it?" Slade asked anxiously, as the man dropped again.

"That's it, I'm calling the cops," the employee said. Slade leapt to his feet, clutching the bucket of popcorn.

"You'll never take me alive!" he screamed. Slade reached into his belt and pulled out a small grenade. He threw it to the ground, and a huge cloud of white smoke billowed out everywhere. Stan coughed, waving his hand in front of his face in an attempt to clear the air. Finally, the dust settled. Stan looked up, his eyes watering. Slade still stood there, munching on popcorn, though Stan was unsure how he had managed to get it into his mouth.

Slade watched the boy with a bemused look for a minute, then seemed to remember he was in the middle of a grand escape. Slade peered around frantically, then finally spotted a way out. He bolted over to the fire exit, spraying bits of popcorn everywhere. He threw open the door and ran into the street, cackling over his shoulder. The sprinkler system kicked in and jets of water sprayed down onto the shoppers below. They ran screaming for cover as Stan just stood there, gazing at the door through which Slade had just escaped from.

---

Starfire sighed. She had been looking for Robin for the past half an hour. She had knocked on the door to his room and received no answer, but was pretty sure he wasn't there. She had gone to the weight room again, but he had abandoned it and not returned. The punching bag still lay there, limp and forgotten. She had traveled throughout the entire Tower, even daring to enter the basement, but had no luck. Starfire had decided to give up.

She carefully opened the door to the roof, her usual sanctuary from the hassles of life. To her immense surprise, Robin sat there right on the edge, dangling one leg off the Tower. Starfire felt a leap of nerves, disliking the close proximity of Robin and nothing but air, but she repressed the urge to call out. She slowly closed the door behind her.

The only sounds that reached Starfire's ears were the calm splashing of waves on the rocks below and the occasional calls of gulls as the circled overhead, trying to find one more meal before the sun set and they would need to sleep. The receding light threw everything into a dull glow. Starfire was irresistibly reminded of that evening, so long ago, when she had confided in Robin her fears of being replaced by her sister.

She just stood there, watching her leader. He was her best friend, aside from Raven, and yet he was still a mystery to her. She barely knew anything about his past. It seemed to her he wanted to forget, to ignore the pain he had left behind. She agreed that the best thing would be to let go, but part of her still wished to understand the boy she had come to care about so much. She wanted to be able to comfort him, to scare away the demons that haunted him at night. Starfire could always tell when Robin had had a restless night; his movements the next day were slower than usual, his reflexes slightly off. Starfire wanted nothing more than to help him through his fears. She just didn't know how.

She didn't even know his name. It could be anything. She didn't know the color of his eyes. She often found herself daydreaming, imagining what color they could be. She had many different theories. She had even played around with the idea that Robin was blind, but realized that that couldn't be true, since he was able to play video games and fight bad guys very successfully. She had eventually decided that she would ask to see his eyes someday, but she had never figured out how.

Gathering her courage, Starfire cleared her throat. Robin turned his head. He seemed surprised, then allowed a small smile to pass over his lips.

"Hey, Star. What can I do for you?"

"Hello Robin. I am here to make sure that you are OK."

He laughed slightly, but it was a sad, breathy laugh. "Not quite, but whatever."

"No, not whatever. Robin-"

"Starfire, I'm so sorry. What happened back there… I didn't mean for it to… spiral out of control like that. I want you to know, though, that I'm always here for you. No matter where you are or what you're doing or… who you love, I'm here."

"Robin…" Starfire was at a loss for words. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her. It also broke her heart to see Robin sitting there, resigning himself to a life of standing behind her, watching her from the sidelines.

She looked up to meet his eyes but found she could not. "I don't know what to say," she murmured finally.

"You don't have to say anything," Robin said, and he turned to look back out over the water.

Starfire suddenly felt a sort of electricity run through her body. She looked up, as if expecting to see something there, but only the empty sky filled her view. Starfire again turned to Robin and knew she couldn't let Robin slip into this sort of calm depression. Her will strengthened, but tears still sprang to her eyes.

She walked towards the Boy Wonder, who still gazed out at the waves. "Robin," she said firmly, and he looked up at her.

"Star!" he said with a slight alarm. "Don't cry… there's nothing to cry about."

Starfire wiped her eyes slowly, then fixed her gaze on Robin. "Robin, did you want what… almost happened back there to occur?" He hesitated. "No lies."

Robin held her gaze. "Yes."

"And you did not know if it would be all right with me, yet you proceeded anyway, correct?"

"Yes."

"You realize that it was a risk, not knowing what my reaction would be, correct?"

"Yes."

"You also realize that it is also a risk not doing anything at all, for the benefits would be… far better than the repercussions?"

"Yes."

Starfire stepped closer, her stare never leaving his face. "Are you willing to take that risk?" she asked softly.

Robin stared back. Slowly, slowly, he shook his head. He reached out very carefully and took her hand. He leaned in closer. Starfire felt her breath catch in her throat. She felt his other arm snake around her small waist. She lifted her arm up and rested it on his shoulder. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. The sun was setting even further below the horizon, bathing them in a soft glow of yellow and orange. Starfire smiled and Robin mirrored it, genuine this time.

Robin closed the gap between their faces, finally, and slowly shut his eyes. Starfire's were already closed. Their lips brushed gently. Starfire was surprised at how close their heights were.

Robin stepped in closer and closed the miniscule gap. He had finally gotten over his worries and fears and just kissed her. The moment seemed to stretch into eternity for the two. They had made it to their own world where no one could touch them. They were safe from everything else. Robin interlaced their fingers as he deepened the kiss. Starfire felt the urge to take to the air in sheer joy, but repressed it quickly. If she did that, she would be forced to break away, and at the moment, that was the last thing she ever wanted.

Robin undid their fingers and put his hand on her waist, joining the other one. He pulled her in closer, which seemed impossible, but he managed. Starfire pulled her arms tighter around the Boy Wonder's neck.

Suddenly, an earsplitting alarm went off throughout the Tower. They broke away reluctantly. Robin took out his communicator, his grip loosening but not released. Starfire moved her hands to his chest.

"Police chief's calling us," Robin explained, snapping the device shut. They looked at one another, then immediately dashed towards the door.

---

Cyborg was rapidly typing in codes to the main computer as Robin and Starfire burst into the main room. "Report," Robin said, reaching Cyborg's side. Raven and Beast Boy were already in the room. Raven glanced at Starfire and noticed how she was out of breath, which was odd.

"The chief of police has a bank robbery downtown. Says it's a bunch of guys, all with strong body armor their weapons can't pierce. He needs us to take 'em down," Cyborg reiterated.

"Titans, go!" Robin cried, and they all headed towards the door. Raven caught Robin's arm.

"I'll talk to her later tonight, OK?"

But as the Titans passed out into the hall leading towards the door, Raven saw a glance shared between Robin and Starfire and realized she wouldn't have to.

-----

Author's Notes: Wow, I feel like a sap. Kill me quickly. Anyway, I'm really sorry that this took so long to get out! But all next week, we have orientation for the high school and get out at, like, eleven every day. See, we used to be a junior high with grades 7-9 at one school in the next town over, who I dub "B," sharing with those kids. Then there's the high school, which combines us and yet another junior high school , aptly named "O." We're still ninth graders, we're still freshmen, we're just in the junior high building… but there's a slight problem with the junior high. See, it's infested with mold. Lots of mold. People get sick off our mold. You can't _see_ the mold, but it's there. The water was also unfit to drink and we had to leave school for a day. This is all "B's" fault because it's a hick town. No offense, Elisa. Anyway, the high school is in my town, which is good, 'cause that means I have a very short way to get there if I ever forget my books or something. _Anyway_, the whole point of that is to show you that I have plenty of time to write next week, so the next chapter should be up pretty soon. Hopefully I can stick to that.

Also, I would like to thank M.E. Pal for the kind-of idea for this chapter ending… thing, hehe. I liked the idea of the two of them being forced to go about normal things right away and the like.

OK, let's see, review replies!

Change-Of-Heart2- Thank you for reading! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the last chapter! Also, great to hear the squirrel has his fans. I hope you liked this most recent chapter!

Slayergirl1362- Thanks for reviewing! Haha, this is awesome, we have our very own cheerleader for the awesomeness of supporting BB/R! Yes! Hehe, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

warprince2000- Thank you for your comments! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far, and I hope you liked this latest chapter!

Whisper from Hell- Thank you for reading! I'm glad you found the story so hilarious! I hope that I am fulfilling the "humor" portion of the summary, hehe. I hope you found this chapter as funny, and enjoyed it!

Regrem Erutaerc- Thanks for your comments! I'm happy to hear you like the story so far. I did check out the joint story you mentioned, and I really liked it! I love idea and think you guys handled it great. Can't wait for more! (Sadly, I've been low on time recently with midterms and all, but I'm getting back into the swing of things!) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

pollywag93- Thank you for reviewing! I'm happy to hear you have enjoyed the story so far! Well, I know there was a ton of R/S in this chapter, but from here on out, it's going to be PILES and PILES of R/BB. Well, hopefully piles and piles, but that depends on my ability to write well or not. If I stink, it will sound bad and I'll be forced to become a hermit. And yes, Slade's antics are always out there! I'm not even sure myself what he'll do next! Anyway, I hope you liked the latest installment!

Dark Amaya- Thanks for reading! Also, I'm glad to hear you're enjoying this story! I am trying hard not to sound too cliché or run-of-the-mill. Hehe, and don't worry, if you have any constructive criticism, I would love to hear it! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

wetg- Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you find Slade funny, that is certainly my intention! But please don't die laughing because, while it may be the best way to go, I would miss your input! Hehe, I hope you enjoyed this recent chapter!

disappearer/Syani- Thanks for reading! Hmm, I do seem to jump around with the subject matter of each chapter, you're right. Hehe, originally, this story wasn't even going to have a plot and just be jump-around ideas, but I threw one into the works almost last minute! Anyway, Slade is very strange, but for a very good reason! You shall see later, however… I won't reveal anything yet! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

heX- Thank you for reviewing! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the last chapter! Unfortunately, this wasn't such a quick update, and for that, I apologize. But it's here now, and the next one shall be out very soon as well! Expect a ton of BB/R in the upcoming chapters! I hope you had a great holiday break, and hopefully you liked this chapter!

starrobin4eva- Thank you for reading! I'm happy to hear you liked the last chapter! Hehe, I hope that this chapter was also to your enjoyment, if that makes any sense. Sorry this wasn't up too quick, but keep an eye out for the next chapter soon!

yukigata- Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story thus far! I am also a huge R/S fan, as well as a huge R/BB fan. I can't decide which I like better, so I say that I like them both equally! Hehe, anyway, I hope you liked this recent chapter!

StarfireRobin4ever- Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Always happy to hear I made someone laugh. I've always thought my sense of humor was strange, but I'm glad that people are enjoying it! And I do believe I complied to your request! Hehe! And thank you, I had a great Christmas and hope that you did too! Or whatever else you may have celebrated! Anyway, I hope you liked the latest chapter!

MirandaOtto- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and found Slade amusing! I'm happy to hear Slade is funny enough to make you want to read him! I often find myself skimming over some parts in stories that I read if they're too focused on someone/something I don't have a real interest in. But shh, I don't think we're supposed to say that. Hehe, anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

samuraistar- Thank you for reading! Hehe, my friend threatened Cyborg and myself with death over the last chapter. Hehe, but you put in much more nicely and funny…ly? Hehe, anyway, I hope you liked this recent chapter!

SushiChica- Thank you for your comments, they were so nice! I'm glad you enjoyed the speech, I was in a strange mood but I thought it would work. Hehe, that was my sappy-romance side coming through. And thank you so much for your wonderful review! I try to be as philosophical as possible, hehe. I like to try to delve deeper into things, which I hope is a good thing. Don't worry, I get very emotional too! And yes, your idea was very good, I just had to use it! Yeah, my friends think I'm crazy too, but oh well. But I loved your other idea, and I am definitely using! It reminded me of something I saw in "Get Fuzzy," the most awesome comic strip in the world. Anyway, thanks for the idea and the totally awesome review, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

ScarletAngel68- Another long review from the Review Goddess! You are way too nice to me. Haha, my money would be on Starfire's food too. The blue furry food is going down. Hehe, I actually watched a Spanish soap opera once. It was for extra credit in my class, and it was the WORST display of acting I have ever seen. But it was so funny to watch. I had to tape it for the project and I also got part of this Judge Spanish-Someone show and I swear, if there's a Satan, this was his sister. So scary. She even had a neon orange jacket. Anyway, the back of boy's necks are very attractive… I find myself doing that too… I can't help it, hehe. My friends always look for "signs" in things for assurance that their relationships will work and such, so that's where the quiz came from. Haha, I liked writing the scene with Rocky a little _too_ much… maybe he'll come back… hmm. Ahh, please don't suffocate! Hehe, yes, I think the squirrel has evil tendencies. Haha, I used the staring contest as a sort of connection/Raven-lost-and-has-to-admit-she-likes-him/Beast-Boy-acting-like-a-moron thing. Hehe, and "Da Squirrel" was too funny not use. And you're quite right, they couldn't deny that it almost happened! I hope this chapter qualifies as having done something about it, 'cause I don't want the curtains. Hehe, yes, enjoy the brownies! Actually, since this took me so long, you probably finished them. Have more! _throws brownies_ I hope you had a good Christmas and I'm sorry you needed some cheering up, but I'm glad I was able to provide it!

M.E. Pal- Thank you for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Hehe, I liked your thought of them not being able to interact right afterwards, so I put that in. Thanks for the idea! Anyway, I hope you liked this recent chapter!

somestar- Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far, and I hope you liked this most recent chapter!

thechickenlittle2000- Thank you for reading! Hehe, yes, I stopped it short last chapter, much to the dismay of my friend who edited this chapter. I'm a big R/S shipper myself, and a fellow fan enjoyed this chapter!

Goth-Girl04- Thanks for your comments! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the story so far. Glad that it's making you laugh! Thank you for such a great review, and I'm glad to hear you're a BB/R fan as well! I hope you liked this latest chapter!

Punky munkey- Thank you for reading! I'm glad to hear no grammar errors, those are my pet peeves. I have such trouble editing my own work, it's very annoying. I'm too fast of a reader to edit my own writing. Ah well, my friend has volunteered to edit from now on, so hopefully no more mistakes! Yes, the friendship between Cyborg and Raven is just that - a friendship. And yes, I am answering all of you reviews in one thing… hope you don't mind! Glad to hear you enjoyed the ice cream scene, that was fun to write and made me hungry. Also, yay for a gold star! Yes, the girls are meant to be a little fishy, but I'm not really sure why. They are a mystery even to me. Now that I think about it, I suppose a museum shouldn't just hand over anything in their vaults, but I also took into account that it was the Teen Titans asking for it. I think the city puts them in such a high status, they might be liable to forget their own rules. Anyway, thanks very much for all the reviews, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

me- Thank you for reviewing! I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying this story thus far! Hopefully this next chapter was up to par!

The Mad shoe- Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you're enjoying the BB/R scenes, and expect to see more in future chapters! I like them as a couple a LOT, so I love to write their scenes! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this recent chapter!

Whew, that was a lot. But anyway, IMPORTANT NEWS! If you go to postopia .c o m (I know you can't have links in here) you can enter in the code "**punk25**" by clicking that big coin on the top, hehe. Anyway, enter the code and you'll be able to witness the Teen Titans lost episode! It's about 12 minutes long, but it's by the same people who create the regular show, and it's TOTALLY worth the 12 minutes it takes to see it! If anyone figures out a way to save it onto the computer, please pass it along!

Also, don't forget to watch the new episode on TODAY, Monday, Martin Luther King Day. (He was a great man and his actual birthday was the 15th, which is my dad's, so I like MLK. We almost have the same initials, and I think he did more for America than a lot of people. Moment of silence…) Anyway, the episode is on at 7:30 eastern, I think… stupid time zones, NO clue what they are… that's what it says on the website for Cartoon Network, and I'm eastern, so it doesn't matter anyway. But yeah, basically, there's a new one on today, so don't miss it!

Anyway, as you may already know, there should be a new chapter on its way very soon. Also, if anyone has the time, I have a few oneshots up that you might enjoy. If you do check them out, thanks very much!

OK, I'll let you guys go now. Please drop me a little review though!


	11. The Fridge That Wouldn't Stay Full

Author's Notes: This so would have been up sooner had I not… well I got asked out, so _that_ was a bit distracting. I talked to him online all day, then right before I had to leave, he asked me out… I'm deliriously happy. But all of this "having a life" business is interrupting my writing schedule! Ergh! Anyway, I feel really bad, I recently posted another one-shot, "Midnight Musings," but I forgot to say that in the actual story and people keep asking when the next chapter is coming out! I don't have one to give, I'm very sorry! Please forgive me!

Anyway, I personally enjoyed the recent episodes! Whoo! I thought they were great! But people, let's _never_ assume the wonderful couples we all know and love are changing. Don't _anyone_ get the idea of Robin/Raven. Ugh, my brother's friend was talking about it, and I was like, "Shut it, fool." Anyway, ahem, moving on. Oh, and the fact that Slade has returned will _not_ change him in my story. He's still crazy, don't worry!

Also, let's all thank SushiChica for the Slade idea for this chapter! I personally loved the idea, and I hope everyone else enjoys it as much as I did!

Other than that, review replies being on the bottom, I can't think of anything else to say. So let's just get on with the chapter!

Actually, on that note, this chapter may similar to Chapter 2, but with a different twist, hehe! In the planning stages of this story, I couldn't decide which scene I wanted to use, so now I'm doing them both! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 11: The Fridge That Wouldn't Stay Full 

"Robin, is this what you had in mind?" Starfire asked, holding up a large box of cereal.

Robin smiled. "Yeah, that'll work."

It was two weeks after Robin had attempted to talk to Starfire in her bedroom, then finally kissing her on the roof of Titans Tower. For a few days, they had managed to keep their relationship hidden until Cyborg walked in on them in the main room, wrapped in each others arms. They had waited with bated breath, wondering what he would say, but he merely shrugged and said, "Finally," then turned on the television. Ever since then, they hadn't been shy about it, but Robin still endured endless teasing from Cyborg and Beast Boy, when they were in the mood.

They hadn't heard from Stalwart since they had delivered the Sangrian Crystal to him. They all tried to push it to the back of their minds, and for the most part, they succeeded. They trusted Cyborg's judgment, and were sure he didn't make a mistake in his assessment. Still, it flitted through their minds like small butterflies, barely touching conscious thought, yet not leaving.

Cyborg had only spoken to Ivy and Alanna briefly two days prior to shopping day. They hadn't found anything new, and only called to talk.

Grocery shopping day had occurred a week or so ago, but this time, they sent Beast Boy to do it. He failed so miserably at following the list, the Titans decided that each member of the team would be responsible for buying their own food from now on. This seemed to be working, but Starfire was still unclear at what certain foods were, so Robin had volunteered to help her out.

"I think I'd like one as well," Starfire said, turning around to look at the rows and rows of cereal. She paused to think.

Robin looked side to side, checking to see if anyone else was with them in the aisle. Seeing that the coast was clear, Robin smiled behind her back and leaned in to kiss her neck. But at that very moment, Starfire crouched down to inspect the lower rows, and Robin ended up planting a kiss on Toucan Sam's beak. Scowling, he drew back quickly, hot in the face.

"Is this kind delectable?" Starfire asked, straightening up and holding up a box. Robin grinned quickly.

"Definitely."

Meanwhile, Raven was a few aisles over, trying to decide what kind of soup she ought to buy. There were times when she just couldn't bring herself to eat the food being served for dinner, so she decided she might as well have something easy to make.

"Incoming!" a voice cried from her left. Raven whirled around to see Beast Boy barreling down the aisle, his feet on the back of his cart, going full speed. Raven quickly phased as darkness through the floor, clearing a space for her green teammates to zoom by unharmed, then reshaped herself as fast as possible. She reached out with her dark energy, grabbing hold of the cart and Beast Boy. He choked, and she dragged them back to her.

She carefully placed Beast Boy on the hard, linoleum floor. He looked sheepishly down at his hands.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked icily. "You could have run over someone! You could have _killed_ someone, you were going so fast. When are you ever going to grow up?"

"When I'm thirty," Beast Boy said, smiling guiltily. But one glare from Raven wiped the smile clean off his face. "OK, OK…" He got up, brushing himself off. "Live a little, will you?" he asked. He grabbed his cart and left the aisle, moving at a normal pace this time.

Raven stared after him, feelings of hurt swirling inside her. She didn't even know why. Why should it bother her? She knew she couldn't open up to anyone, enjoy life, express emotions. Then why did it make her sad to realize other people knew it?

She stared down at the floor, her eyes dull. She hated that her friends knew about her restrictions. She had never been entirely comfortable with discussing them, but somehow, the truth had leaked out. What she wouldn't give to be free of the shackles that held her back from her teammates… her friends.

Raven sighed, then looked up. She picked an Italian soup, placed it gently in the cart in front of her, and moved on in the opposite direction Beast Boy had taken.

-

Cyborg grinned cheekily at the college girl he passed in the vegetable aisle. As she blushed prettily and smiled back, he felt very proud of himself.

Cyborg couldn't help but allow his head to swell. He was a ladies' man and he knew it.

Grabbing a bag of pre-made salad, the cybernetic teen began to whistle. As he rounded the bend, he spotted Beast Boy up ahead.

"Yo!" he called to his friend. Beast Boy turned around. He then paused, noting just how many groceries were piled into Cyborg's cart.

"Uh… this might be a problem," the green Titan said. His cart was also filled to the brim.

Cyborg stared at their carts. Alone, they would make at least a dozen bags, if not more, and they still had to add up what the other three teammates would have. "Can't you put any of that stuff back?" Cyborg demanded. Beast Boy raised an eyebrow.

"Why don't you?"

Cyborg sighed. "Alright, I guess we're just gonna have to squeeze everything into the T-Car. No big deal."

-

"Crap."

The Titans had finally regrouped in the front of the store, about to make their purchases. Everyone's cart was absolutely loaded, which would prove to be a problem for their transportation. Robin and Starfire had stayed together throughout the entire shopping trip, and their carts had similar contents. Starfire's did, however, have a very large supply of mustard.

Raven had continued to shop after she and Beast Boy had clashed, and her cart was almost as full as everyone else's. She was usually the one with the smallest appetite, and didn't feel she would need as much food. Besides, if she ran out and was still hungry, she'd eat some of Cyborg's and blame it on Beast Boy.

Cyborg and Beast Boy had already compared carts, and were now trying to figure out how they were going to fit everything into the car.

"OK, we can strap some down to the roof-"

"Like that'll work," Raven said scathingly. Beast Boy turned to her, confused. She had snapped at him many, many times before, and he knew she would snap at him many, many times later, but this time, she had spoken with much more… spite than before. He knew she must be angry about something, but he had no idea what.

Cyborg rubbed his temples. "You know what? I built the T-Car pretty big… the multiple times I've had to build the thing… so we should be able to fit everything. If not, we'll think of something."

Raven almost laughed out loud at the predicament they were in. The Teen Titans, now an elite fighting force, protectors of a huge city, were having trouble putting groceries into a car. They hadn't even bought them yet, and they were already confused at what to do. Raven would have had to fight the urge not laugh - had she not still been seething over her encounter with Beast Boy.

She didn't even know why it made her so mad.

Finally, all the Titans had paid for their purchases, and were all walking out into the parking lot. There were dozens of people staring at them. The Teen Titans were, after all, heroes, and people could never seem to get over the fact that heroes had to eat at some point too.

"I have another idea!" cried Beast Boy. The others looked at him expectantly. He paused. "No wait, I lost it."

"Here we go," mumbled Cyborg as he popped open the trunk. The others open the doors so they could fill the seat as well. Raven and Beast Boy ended up loading the trunk together.

"Why are you so mad?" Beast Boy asked, carefully setting a package down.

Raven sneered at him. "If you have to ask, you'll never know."

"Hey, c'mon," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "What did I do?" Raven glowered at him and tried to break free, but Beast Boy held on tight. "Tell me." Raven gave him the worst death glare she could muster, but it still didn't work. She was taken aback a little at that. No one had ever been able to stand up to her horrible death glare.

"Beast Boy-"

"Please, Raven. I wanna know what I did."

Raven sighed and looked away. She really didn't want to get into it, but Beast Boy was relentless. He always was. After she had nearly lost control in their first battle with Dr. Light, he hadn't stopped until she explained what was going on. He had journeyed into her mind to discover her secrets, and he hadn't stopped there. He had even ventured into her heart in some unknown way…

Raven nearly smacked herself on the forehead. What was _wrong_ with her? Beast Boy finding a way into her heart, the idea was just stupid. 'I am losing my mind,' she thought calmly. 'I need to go home and meditate.'

But at the time, Beast Boy was still holding onto her, wanting an answer.

"You…" Raven began, but she couldn't find the words to finish her sentence. It seemed childish now out in the open, but she was still peeved.

"Was it something I said in the store?" Beast Boy asked. Raven just looked at him. The green Titan sighed and let his hand drop, with a tiny surge of disappointment from Raven, but she quickly repressed it and forgot it. "Look, I'm sorry. I don't always think before I say things. You know that." Raven rolled her eyes in affirmation. "I didn't mean to say you don't live… well, life as it is… um… OK, I don't know what I'm saying here, but I didn't mean for it to come out that way. I'm sorry."

What Raven said next surprised them both. "Apology accepted."

Beast Boy blinked at her for half a second, then grinned. "Great!" They finished packing up the trunk in silence, Beast Boy's smile not quite faded and Raven's face slightly pink.

"Alright ya'll," Cyborg called from the front of the car. "We need to figure this out." Beast Boy and Raven went around to his side and peered in through the glass. The two front seats remained clear of any bags, but the entire backseat was covered.

"I, obviously, am driving," Cyborg said, opening the driver's door. "Someone can take the front seat." He sat down behind the wheel and looked up expectantly at his teammates. The other four looked around, trying to determine who would get the one and only seat.

Raven opened a back door. "I'll sit here," she said, lifting up a bag of groceries. She sat down as well, then set the bag carefully on her lap, so as not to tip it and spill its contents. Robin opened the other front door.

"I'll take here," he announced. Starfire and Beast Boy stood on opposite sides of the car, unsure of what to do. Beast Boy decided on becoming a lizard, and he quickly changed and crawled in through the open door near Robin. Beast Boy then clung to the ceiling upside down, a very uncomfortable position. Starfire felt a slight tug on her wrist, and looked down to see Robin, smiling. She grinned too, and slid into the car, carefully placing herself on top of Robin. She leaned back into his chest, and he put his hands on her upper thighs.

"I don't wanna see that," Cyborg said gruffly, and reached back to take the bag off Raven's lap. He set in precariously on the CD case between the two front seats. Robin laughed.

Beast Boy turned his beady lizard eyes onto Raven. She held his gaze as long as she could, then sighed. "Fine," she said, and felt something soft drop into her lap. Beast Boy had become a green kitten, and was soon curled up on top of her legs.

"Hey, this actually worked out perfectly!" Cyborg said cheerfully, as Robin pulled the door next to him closed, causing Starfire to giggle.

Cyborg didn't know how right he was.

Raven stared out the window as they got on their way, Cyborg scanning through the radio stations in an attempt to find a song he liked. The sky had grown dark, and as she watched the pattern of street lamps flick by, the growth and recede of think yellow light, she felt something warm press into her hands. She looked down to see Beast Boy-turned-green-kitten rubbing his head against her hands. She pushed him away, her face warm. He sat on her knees, his head cocked. He then rammed her in the stomach with his head. Raven jumped at the impact and shot the kitten a glare. Beast Boy only looked at her expectantly. She sighed in defeat and began to stoke the kitten's back, trying hard to pretend it was just a stray, some cat she didn't know.

"Sweet!" Cyborg cried as a rap song came filtering through the speakers of the car. He began to sing along.

"**_I don't know what you heard about me, but you can't get a dollar out of me,_** **_no Cadillac, no perms, you can't see, that I'm a _**- Star, don't touch that - _**P**_-**_I-M-P!"_**

Robin rolled his eyes under his mask. Cyborg loved to think he was a ladies man.

Starfire pouted as she moved her hands away from the dashboard. She loved making the windshield wipers dance.

Raven continued to pet the green kitten in her lap. She looked down to realize Beast Boy had fallen asleep. She couldn't help but let a small smile escape her lips.

"How are you doing back there, Rae?" Cyborg called over the music. Raven jumped, spilling Beast Boy onto the floor at her feet, straight into another bag of groceries.

"Um… we're fine… I'm fine… no need to worry about us." Cyborg raised an eyebrow, and tried to turn around to look at her, but found he couldn't look past the two lovebirds in the front seat, where Robin was tracing words with his finger onto Starfire's thigh and making her guess what he was spelling. Cyborg nearly gagged.

Beast Boy clambered out of the bag, bits of lettuce stuck to his fur. Raven scooped him up from under his front legs and deposited him in her lap again. She picked out the stray lettuce leaves, flicking them onto the ground. Beast Boy looked up at her, shocked and secretly pleased at the display of affection. Raven put a finger to her lips, indicating the treatment was their secret. Beast Boy curled his lips up in a kitty grin.

Cyborg hit the scan button again, searching for a good radio station to leave on. He had one of the best antenna, catching almost every station within a huge radius. He remained blissfully oblivious to whatever Robin and Starfire were doing in the next seat over. He knew they would never engage in behavior to risqué, for it simply wasn't their nature. They were both responsible and respectful, and knew they both had to be heroes. While Cyborg was glad that they were finally together and could deal with a little bit of public displays of affection, he still didn't want to have to see it all the time. He concentrated on driving and staying on the correct side of the road. But because he was filtering out as much as he could, he entirely missed the sparks that flew in the backseat, unbeknownst to even the ones who caused them.

-

"Oh, it's just the background noise!" Slade called loudly, trying to be heard over the din of the subway. He was just getting off the train onto the crowded platform. He reached into a pocket and grabbed a ticket. He began to wade through the crowd, attempting to locate his next gate.

"Can you hear me now?" he asked, yelling into his cell phone. "Darn!" he cried as he narrowly avoided a head-on collision with a pregnant woman. She was laden with what looked like fourteen months, and Slade did _not_ want to cross her. She glared at him over her shoulder.

Slade received many strange stares as he walked by. He was still in his uniform, and while the people of Jump City were used to people running around in odd clothes, the fact that he wasn't making any trouble confused them. They never saw someone dressed up like that, with the exception of the Titans, engaged in normal activities. Usually when people wore bizarre clothes, they were villains. But Slade was behaving as one of them, riding the subway.

"Can you hear me now?" Slade demanded into his phone. "Argh!" he yelled with impatience. "Oh, hold on though," he said loudly, and got into the line for the right gate. He slid his ticket through the slot, and the light on the end turned green, allowing him in. He pushed through the small bar used for counting passengers, and adjusted his phone to prop it up against his ear. He began to dig through his pocket, in search of something else.

"Yeah, I'm looking for it!" Slade said into his cell phone. He paused, apparently listening for an answer. "Yes, yes, I know I have it! I just have to find it!"

Slade rolled his visible eye. "No, I didn't lose it. How irresponsible do you think I am?"

"Here it- no wait, never mind, that's not it." Slade took out a skeleton key and pitched it over his shoulder, where it hit someone in the back of their head. The man turned around, nursing his wound, trying to discover his attacker. But because the subway was so crowded, he had no idea who it was, and moved on, a scowl adorning his face.

"Aha!" Slade cheered. He pulled out a comb. "Drat, not it. Yes, I'm still looking!" Slade threw the comb away as well, this time landing in a business woman's coffee. She was distracted with her own cell phone and didn't even notice until she went to take a sip. She gagged and spit the coffee back into the cup, utterly repulsed by the stray comb. She propped her phone up with her shoulder and pulled the comb out delicately, her face twisted into a look of disgust. She dropped it at her feet, then examined her coffee cup again. She reached in and grabbed a long, red hair. As she pulled out another one, she shook her head, almost causing her phone to fall. She threw the cup in the nearest trash can and hurried away.

"This would… not be it." Slade said, disappointment in his voice. He listened to his phone again and laughed.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" he asked good-naturedly. His eye grew steely again. "I take offense to that. I should see you hanged!" He winced as he listened again. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. You know I am, right?" He paused again. "Alright, alright, I'm looking! Sheesh…"

This time Slade yanked out a pencil. He tossed it, and it sailed like a dart through the air. It finally struck a little girl's doll, right between her plastic painted eyes. The girl turned to look at her doll, noticing the impact. She stared at her punctured doll for a moment. A scream suddenly erupted from her lips and tears poured from her eyes. Her parents looked down to find out what the cause of her sudden outburst was. When they saw, her mother became horrified that some cruel person would ever do that to a little girl. Her father looked outraged, swirling around to find the pencil-wielding-doll-murderer. But no one was clearly guilty, so the family moved on, the girl still in tears.

"It has to be in here somewhere," Slade mumbled to himself. "I didn't say anything!" he called into the cell phone. "C'mon, c'mon!" he pleaded quietly with the missing object.

Slade felt a tap on his shoulder. "Hold on," he spoke to his cell phone, and covered the receiver with his hand, lowering to his waist. He turned to see a pretty young woman. "Can I help you?" he asked in a strangely polite voice.

"Um… sir? Why are you talking to that banana?" Slade stared at her for a moment, then looked down. In his hands, he held a ripe banana, slightly squashed from being pressed between his shoulder and his ear. Slade lifted the banana to his face, looking utterly perplexed. The woman looked from side to side, then darted away, more than a little put out. Slade continued to stare at the banana.

"Wait…" he said aloud to himself. "This is not…" He put a hand up to his chin in the stereotypical thinker's position. "Then who was I talking to?"

-

The T-Car rolled into the garage of the Tower. Cyborg turned off the ignition and got out of the car, stretching his legs a little. Starfire floated out from her side of the car as Robin got out behind her. Raven's door opened and the green kitten leapt lightly from her lap, bowing into the stretch position. Beast Boy resumed his human form as he yawned, having dozed in the car ride home. Raven got out, putting her hood up to shield her face.

"Alright team, let's get everything into the Tower," said Robin. He and his teammates began to unload the T-Car when Beast Boy froze up.

"What is the matter, Beast Boy?" Starfire asked from behind four or five bags.

"What's up, BB?" questioned Cyborg. Beast Boy still didn't move. The Titans all put down the bags they were carrying and hurried over to their green friend.

"Is everything OK?" Robin asked anxiously.

Beast Boy snapped his fingers suddenly, startling his friends. "I just remembered my idea! Some of us could have flown home!" The Titans stared at him. "What?"

Cyborg groaned. He smacked Beast Boy on the back of his head and picked up his bags again. Robin threw his arms in the air and returned to his own bags. Starfire frowned and flew off. Raven smacked Beast Boy as well, and he cowered laughing. "Haha, _I_ was the only one to think of it! And it was a good idea too!" Raven began to walk away and gather the bags she was to bring in. Beast Boy scooped up his bags. Grinning, he said, "Hey, maybe it was a good thing I forgot." Raven whirled around to look at him but he had already disappeared through the door, just flitting out of sight before Raven could say anything.

* * *

Author's Notes: That was disgustingly short. Eugh. I apologize. It just happened to come out that way, I needed to end it so it wouldn't drag on and on. Anyway, the next chapter will be longer, so hopefully that will make up for it! 

Also, I won't be here next weekend… my dad and I are going up to New York to visit my cousin in college. Yay! But that means no story that weekend… boo. I also miss the episode! NO! But I'm taping it, so all is well. Also, that's the first week of vacation, so there _should_ be more written then. I'm hoping two chapters with two one shots and hopefully some of the parody I'm writing… or will write for Teen Titans. More on that later, but keep an eye out for it if you like random, random stuff I hope is funny! I should get some of it up soon…

Also, I just _had_ to put in Cyborg's new theme song. He's now got Jinx, Bumblebee, the woman from the soap opera he interrupted, and Sarasim. (And yes, it's spelled that way, I check the credits… unless I'm a retard who can't read, of course… or my tape was too blurry when it was paused… I don't know, hehe.)

Anyway, the review replies de jour!

The Angel of Anarchy- Thank you for reading! Haha, I'm glad you were able to use the code, I loved the episode it gets you! I read it online and I yelled to my mom, "We have to cereal, now!" She said, "Umm… no." Hehe, but I convinced her. Well, this was the beginning to the slew of BB/R to come. I hope you enjoyed it! Also, thank you SO much for the episode on the computer! _bows repeatedly_ I love you forever. Anyway, I hope you liked the latest chapter!

BB/Raelover4eva- Thank you for your comments! By the way, I love your screen name thingy, hehe. Always great to hear from another BB/R fan! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

ScarletAngel68- Whoo! The Review Goddess strikes again! Hehe, anyway, I love "Episode 257-494!" (I'm pretty sure those are the numbers, hehe.) I heart when Beast Boy steals her cloak. He's the only other Titan to wear it (except Starfire when they switched bodies), making him special. Haha, Cyborg IS a ladies' man, which I had to incorporate somehow into the story, heh. He's such a little player! Anyway, Cyborg is not only a ladies' man, but a squirrel's man! Foamy just has too much fun with him, I'm afraid. Haha, your comment on Robin's spiky head eating his brain made me laugh out loud. It reminded me of this quote I heard somewhere (but I can't remember where, curses) about how someone's hair gel finally leaked into their brain. As my English teacher would say, I "made a connection." Haha, yes, Raven and Beast Boy need to realize they are absolutely crazy for each other. Being the master of this universe, hehe, I can make them do whatever I want… but at times, the story seems to run off on its own, ending up differently than I expected. Oh well! Hahaha, inanimate objects are EVIL! They always make fun of me… that's why I'm such a traumatized little child. I had to include some of that for poor Robin to contend with. By the way, snog is now officially _the_ word I use. I heart it. Haha, you definitely made me laugh… it's so true, Cyborg is WAY more obsessed with Foamy than Robin ever was with Slade. Cyborg also has many talents. He deserves so much more love than he seems to get. Anyway, I dub thee the ultimate Slade theme song person. They never fail make me laugh. But you're right, Stan would have a hard time seeing Slade chew, but the image of Slade standing there with this huge blown up cheek chewing like a cow made me laugh… had to try it, hehe. Also, thank you so much! I'm so very happy to hear you found their little speeches touching! It makes me all warm and happy inside. Haha, my mold could totally take on the blue fuzzy food. Now, apparently, we ninth graders have been told our high school is _also_ filled with mold. Fun. Haha, coincidently, I just watched "The Lost Episode" a few minutes ago. (I was sent home sick today, even though I'm not really. I was car sick from the bus and ran in before first period and scared all the office workers. I did end up tossing my cookies, but the principal person man was patting my back and the whole time, I'm thinking, "If you keep patting me, your toupee will fall off.") Anyway, definitely a random thought. Thanks so much for your wonderfully long review! _hugs_

starrobin4eva- Thank you for reviewing! It's great to hear you enjoyed the R/S moment, I tried my best and hoped it'd come out OK. I wasn't sure if I'd done a good job or not… Anyway, I hope you liked the latest chapter!

warprince2000- Thanks for your comments! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the story thus far, and I hope you liked this new chapter!

Slayergirl1362- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the Cyborg chase scene! Haha, yes, my school is/was infested with mold. It was really pleasant. Anyway, in regards to your review of "Midnight Musings," I'm sorry to say this it was a one shot. ' I was planning on it ending there, but if you can think of anything that might go after it, that would be great! Anyway, I hoped you liked this chapter!

samuraistar- Fellow sap! Hehe, great to hear you enjoyed the last chapter! I heart your idea of a Gothic Cupid, so funny. Haha, as for Cyborg catching Foamy… we shall see. Beast Boy's game? Well, I think he's going to have some other things on his mid aside from video games for a while, but he's never been thwarted before! Ha! Hehe, anyway, I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!

Change-Of-Heart2- Thank you for reading! Haha, yes, squirrels aren't edible… but my friend doesn't believe me, and is still attempting to chase one down in her yard. Hehe, I'm surprised to hear you get a fine for killing a squirrel! I don't think anyone would notice in my town… they outnumber us anyway, hehe. Anyway, I hope you liked the newest chapter!

M.E. Pal- Thanks for your comments! I'm really glad you enjoyed the R/S get together scene! I was really, really hoping it would come out OK. Hehe, I like your ideas! I've got somewhat of a plan as to where this story is going, but not much in the way of Robin/Starfire stuff. Thanks for giving me some stuff to play around with! Haha, I loved both your Slade ideas, and they're definitely getting in here! Also, thank you, orientation went very well! I'm really enjoying my new school! And I hope that you've been enjoying the story thus far!

luvlifecharm- Thank you for reading! I'm happy to hear you've enjoyed the story so far, and I hope you liked the latest chapter as well!

Bella-Rose01- Thanks for reviewing! Hehe, don't worry, there'll be plenty of R/S and R/BB fluffy stuff in the future! I'm glad you're enjoying the Slade parts! Hehe, apparently Slade was uninformed about My Little Pony's evil powers. Poor Slade. Hah, a lot of people were glad that Robin and Starfire finally got together. Stick around to see how Raven and Beast Boy end up together! Also, in reference to your other reviews, "Dark Forest" in unfortunately a one shot. Sorry! I'm trying to think of ways to continue it, but no such luck yet. If you have any ideas, please pass them along! Anyway, I would love to read your story! Unfortunately, I've been really busy lately, but I have vacation next week and will definitely have a chance! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Eevee-shadows- Thank you for your comments! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the story thus far! Hehe, expect to see a lot more of R/BB in the future! Hehe, yes, Slade's precious pet rock. Truly a great idea, we must thank SushiChica for that one! Anyway, I hope you liked this newest chapter!

SushiChica- Thank you for reading! You officially win the "Most Faithful Reviewer" award. You also discovered my secret (I try to make all my chapters 10 pages, excpet this one isn't 'cause it just didn't turn out that way). But _bows_ you deserve a reward for this wonderful act of bravery against the constraints of grounding and wonderful act of self-sacrifice! Haha, don't worry, I squeal when I am ecstatically happy, but it can be embarrassing. Hehe, I always squeal when I see a commercial for a new episode of Teen Titans, I'm that excited for it! (Speaking of which, can't _wait_ for next week's!) Hehe, Ivy and Alanna are supposed to seem a bit suspicious, so that's great! I'm actually not really sure what I'm going to do with them, but I guess we'll both see, hehe. Anyway, I'm really happy to hear you enjoyed the Slade bit! I personally liked that one, hehe. I was really hoping that people would like it, 'cause as I reread it, I wasn't positive it was all that great. Anyway, also good to hear you enjoyed Cyborg's freak out! But don't get caught under the covers! That would be bad, you might be grounded again, and we don't want that! Hehe, anyway, I'm glad you find there to be a lot of difference throughout the story. It was totally my intention, but I wasn't sure if it was working. (Everything makes sense to me in my head, but I don't always know if I got it down on paper correctly.) Haha, yes, you come up with AWESOME Slade ideas. I heart them a lot, haha. Anyway, Get Fuzzy and Fox Trot are both awesome. They're the comics I _know_ will always be funny when I wake up in the morning to go read them. Hehe, I'm glad you agree with me about thinking deeply into things. My friend was giving me a hard time about it before, because she thought you needed to "take things as they are, don't over analyze." I, however, always thought you were supposed to try to understand things more deeply before judging… oh well, different opinions. Hehe, anyway, I better wrap this up, but thanks again for such a great review!

PrincessMakoto- Thank you for reviewing! I'm happy to hear you've been enjoying the story thus far! Makes my morale get quite a boost, hehe. Anyway, I hoped you liked this chapter!

Mel-The-Gryphon- Thank for you reading! I'm glad you enjoyed the story so far! Always nice to hear someone likes BB/R! Also, glad to hear Slade has been making you laugh! Hehe, and I'm totally honored for the favorite, thank you so much! Anyway, I hope you liked this newest chapter!

VeelaChic- Thanks for your comments! Hehe, you're right, I haven't updated in a while, bad me! But here's the newest chapter, which I hope you enjoyed, and there should be more on their way very soon!

XxJeterxX- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Also, it's nice to hear you find Slade amusing! Not only that, but it's great to hear from another R/S shipper! Hehe, anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Ami-chan-friend-of-M.E.Pal- Thank you for reading! (Hehe, you have a pretty long name, I like it! Way to be different!) Anyway, totally go for it if you want to write a story of your own! Sounds awesome! Let me know when you've got stuff up, I'd love to see! And your ideas aren't bad at all! Hehe, you ought to give 'em a try! Anyway, I hope you liked this latest chapter!

Star-Elie- Thank you for your comments! Hehe, don't worry, it's far from over! I have a lot more planned for the Titans, haha! Anyway, I've always found it so hard to pick which couple is my favorite. I like them both equally, for different reasons. But props to you for your decisive mind, hehe. (And wow, you had a couple screen names! All quite good, if I say so myself, hehe.) Anyway, I hope you liked this newest chapter!

heX- Thanks for reading! Hehe, yes, Slade's return will make my story look a little out of place, but that's OK. On we go! Hmm, as for the other characters you mentioned, I'm not sure. I think if the situation arises, I definitely will! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

Robin's Lil Angel- Thanks for your comments, they were very sweet! I try hard to keep everyone in character as best I can (with the exception of Slade, of course, hehe). Anyway, thank you again for such a nice review, it really boosted my morale! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

ifartinurdirection- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the R/S scene, I tried my best! I'm glad you're enjoying the story, that makes me very happy! Haha, yeah, the mold would definitely take on the blue furry food! Not sure who the victor would be, hehe… But anyway, you're totally right, Cyborg's obsession definitely matches Robin's over Slade! Haha, have a tissue for that cold. Anyway, there will be plenty more BB/R coming up, I promise you that! Hopefully I do a good job with it… eep cross your fingers! Also, thank you so much, I'm glad you find my story in character! I always get annoyed when I read stories where they make people blatantly out of character, and I was really hoping I wouldn't become one of those people! Anyway, I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the Slade bits! (And don't worry, I can't spell either.) Anyway, here's the update you wanted, and I hope you enjoyed it!

defender- Thank you for reading! I'm happy to hear you've been enjoying the story (and the Slade bits)! I hope you liked this newest chapter as well!

Alright, expect more soon!


	12. Poetry in Action

Author's Notes: OK. So. Everybody has heard of Pacman, right? Of course. Alright, so imagine the little Pacman guy running around eating all those little white dots we all assume are food. Now, change Pacman into a softball and those white dots into every minute of my spare time. Yes. Softball season has begun.

HOWEVER, that does _not_ mean this story won't get updated. I'm still going to write as much as I can. I've had some busy weekends recently, but now I'm on a sort of break. So! Keep your eyes peeled for new chapters, I promise there'll be some!

And now, an extremely important note. As scathac's warrior revealed to me, Foamy… is a real squirrel. Go to illwillpress . com to see what I mean. I was in shock. Was I the only one who did not know this? I feel so out of the loop. Hehe, please do check out the website (and turn your speakers down if parents are nearby)! So yeah, I guess I don't technically own Foamy either. _cries_ What _do_ I own then?

Also, I'd like to thank M.E. Pal for this chapter's Slade idea. I must admit, I had a hard time thinking exactly how to do the scene, so I hope it eventually came out well! If anyone else has an idea, send them on in, I'd be glad to hear them!

* * *

Chapter 12: Poetry in Action

"Sweet!" Robin called out as his car on-screen zoomed over the finish line. Beast Boy frowned.

"How about best out of… twenty-three?"

This time, Robin frowned. "We've been at this for about an hour and half already. I wanted to start training at least forty-five minutes ago."

Beast Boy gulped. 'He's onto me.' He had goaded Robin into playing video games with him to prevent his leader from forcing him to train. It wasn't that Beast Boy doubted the importance of training; he knew it was vital to keep their skills sharp. He was just lazy and didn't want to have to do any physical activity.

Robin stared at the television, thinking. "Winner" flashed across screen, repeating itself over and over again until they made a decision. "OK," he sighed. "Last game."

"Wait! How about a deal?" Beast Boy asked, holding up his hands, the controller's wire swinging wildly. Robin looked at the green Titan incredulously.

"Like what?"

"If you win, we'll go train right after. If I win, I get to skip combat practice for the day." Beast Boy waggled his eyebrows at the Boy Wonder. "Pretty clever, huh?"

Robin snorted. "If you insist."

"Awesome!" Beast Boy shouted, leaping into the air. He landed on the couch just as Robin hit the 'retry' button and their race began. Their cars swerved around each other, avoiding fallen objects in their virtual paths. They cried with triumph when they made spectacular moves and groaned when they lost ground. They challenged each other, prodding one another to perform better. Both grinned wildly. As they raced around the track, lap after lap, they looked like normal teenagers. They almost looked like brothers, with an unspoken bond that males seemed to have. It was incredible what a close, family-like structure the Titans had created. They had truly become one and the same, sharing such close ties they seemed to be perfectly balanced.

However, at the moment, Beast Boy's virtual car was not perfectly balanced, and it flew off the road into a shower of graphic fire. Robin let out a whoop of victory as the door slid open behind the boys and Raven walked into the room. She rolled her eyes at their cheering leader and Beast Boy, holding his head in his hands.

"Boys," she muttered. She moved over towards a drawer and began rummaging through it as Robin sighed, a grin adorning his face.

"Looks like I won," Robin said happily.

"We noticed," Raven said sarcastically under her breath.

"Yeah… I figured that out," Beast Boy moaned, getting up.

Raven pulled out a small pad of paper and pencil. Robin glanced over to her. "Where are you off to, Raven?"

"Why does it matter?" she asked. Robin only raised an eyebrow, used to her flip remarks. Raven rolled her eyes. "If you must know, I'm going to a small café. They're having a poetry reading and I wanted to see if there were any good poets. If it's like the others I've gone to, they probably won't have anything amazing."

Beast Boy's eyes widened. If it wouldn't have blown his cover, he would have snapped his fingers. "You know Robin, I really _want_ to train with you this afternoon, but I already promised Raven I'd go with her to this poetry reading."

"Wh-" Raven began, but Beast Boy raced over and quickly flung his arm around her shoulder, slapping his palm to her face.

"Yeah, I had totally forgotten up until this minute. But hey," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "A promise is a promise."

Robin stared at the pair of them, skepticism written all over his face. 'He can't honestly think I'd buy that, can he?' he thought to himself. He was about to say so out loud, but something stopped him. He realized this could potentially work out for everyone. True, Beast Boy wouldn't be getting his overdue workout, but he could always do that later. Robin figured this might help Raven and Beast Boy form a stronger friendship. Maybe they wouldn't bicker so much. That would be a huge relief to the rest of the team. They hated to see them at each other's throats, but it was also very annoying most of the time. Robin decided, just this once, Beast Boy should get a break.

"OK, sounds great. You two have fun."

'I can't believe he bought that,' Raven thought.

'I can't believe he bought that,' Beast Boy sighed inwardly with relief.

"Alright, awesome, we'll see you in a bit," said Beast Boy happily, ushering Raven towards the door. But Robin held up a hand, delaying them.

"I'll give you guys a call in a little bit. I'm curious as to whom you'll find to be the best poet, and I wanna hear what you guys think." The two Titans stared at him for a moment, then Beast Boy grinned, pushing Raven again.

"OK, talk to you then! Bye bye!" He laughed as he and Raven entered the elevator, but as soon as the doors shut them in, he breathed deeply. "That was close." Raven glared down at him. "What?"

"You realize he's going to call us and ask us who the poets are, right?"

Beast Boy leaned against the wall as the elevator began to move. He slid down the wall, asking, "So?"

"So you're going to have to tell him one." Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. "You won't know anyone!"

"Oh. That could be a problem." Beast Boy thought for a minute. "I guess I _am_ coming with you then."

Raven rolled her eyes as she murmured unenthusiastically, "Yay."

"Aw, c'mon! It can't be that bad!" Beast Boy protested.

"You're just going to get bored and make a fool of yourself in front of everyone, and they'll probably ban us from the café," Raven said. "I can just see it now."

"That's not true! I'll be good! I think it'll be fun!" Raven looked at him, disbelief written all over her face. "Seriously," Beast Boy said, standing up. "I'm looking forward to it." Raven still wasn't convinced, but his eyes shown with honesty. She was usually very good about knowing when people were lying to her, and this wasn't one of those times. Raven stared at her hands, flattered. She was surprised that he would want to spend time with her, let alone something that was so uncharacteristic of him.

They both stayed silent until they reached the bottom and left the Tower. "Thank you," Raven murmured, and pushed off into the air.

Beast Boy smiled slightly. "You're welcome," he said. He transformed into a hawk and took to the air, following the dark girl.

Meanwhile, Robin watched his teammates from the upstairs window of the Tower. Once they were both soaring through the sky, he stretched his arms, and turned away. 'I wonder where everybody else is…'

Beast Boy's sharp eyes watched Raven as they soared together through the clouds. It struck him how graceful she was, maintaining her balance in the turbulent air. He realized how special and private a moment this was. Not everyone could take to the air and fly with a friend. Beast Boy also realized that since Raven tried to keep herself so much, being able to spend time with her was a rare treat. He felt happy and empowered. He wanted so much to make Raven feel comfortable with him and the other Titans, he never quite grasped exactly how much time and energy he put into it. Seeing it pay off, however, was a greater feeling than he thought he might ever have felt.

Suddenly, Raven dropped through the air, plummeting towards the ground. A cold fist clenched around Beast Boy's heart. He could barely breathe. Had she been hurt? He screeched, the hawk's cy wavering in the air, then dove after her.

She landed in an alley, falling hard on her feet. Beast Boy swooped next to her, scraping his talons against the pavement. He transformed back into a human and spun rapidly around. He raced over to where Raven still knelt down, her face obscured by her hood.

"Raven!" he cried, grabbing her by the arms and hoisting her up. "Are you OK? Speak to me!"

Raven lifted her head and Beast Boy knew immediately he was in huge trouble. Raven was glaring at him. "I'm fine," she said, reaching up to remove one of Beast Boy's arms. He slowly let go.

"But… I saw you fall-"

"Did you think we would land right outside the door? That would attract attention. We land here, and no one can see us."

"I thought you were hurt," Beast Boy said quietly. "Don't do that again." Raven only stared at him.

"Yes, Mother," she said sarcastically, but inwardly, she was touched. Did he really care that much? She mentally shook herself. What did it matter if he cared? He _had_ to care, she was a member of the team; it wasn't special treatment.

Beast Boy had regained his composure and grinned cheekily. "OK, now where?" Raven brushed by him onto the street, turning to the right. Beast Boy jogged to catch up. They walked for about two blocks until they reached a small café, dark drapes hanging in the window to prevent the passer-bys from seeing in. Two teenage boys were smoking on the bench next to doe door. Their eyes swept up and down Raven's body as they approached. Raven didn't even look at them as she opened the door, holding it and looking over her shoulder at her teammate.

"Please… do not make an idiot of yourself."

Beast Boy placed a hand over his heart. "I promise." Raven rolled her eyes again.

Raven stepped into the foyer and was about to open the next set of doors when they swung forward on their own. A boy with dark hair and a scowl on his face stepped out, and Beast Boy immediately recognized him as the Goth guy from the warehouse.

As he spotted Raven, the boy's face lit up; rather, it lit up as much as his depressing face could. "Hey!"

Raven sneered at him.

"I haven't seen you for a while," the boy remarked casually, leaning against the wall. He propped up his foot. "What have you been up to? Fighting crime as usual?"

"That's kind of my job. Our job, really," Raven droned, flipping her hand over her shoulder to indicate Beast Boy. The boy slowly removed his gaze from Raven to stare at the green Titan. His smile seemed a little more forced.

"You must be Beast Boy," he said. He seemed to be having an internal dispute when he finally extended his hand. Beast Boy took it. The boy had a very firm grip. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Yeah… that's what news broadcasts are for," said Beast Boy coldly. He didn't know why, but he didn't like this guy.

"No… I mean… I meant, Raven told me a lot about you." Beast Boy's eyebrows rose, and he glanced over at her. Her eyes were wide under the shadow cast by her hood.

Beast Boy turned back to the teenager, still shaking his hand. They were both squeezing hard. "Yeah, Raven and I go way back. Ever since I joined the Titans, we've been buddies… or butting heads. But we always make up afterwards. Yup, we've got a strong friendship, no doubt about it-"

"We're going in," Raven cut him off. "You were leaving, apparently." She pulled them apart, gripping each of their arms. The outer doors swung open, encased in black energy.

3W"Well, I could stay-" the boy began, but a death glare from Raven cut him off. "Actually, I do have somewhere I have to be. I'll see you around, I guess."

"You wish," hissed Raven, and she pulled Beast Boy inside the café, leaving the Goth guy to stand forlornly in the foyer, until he departed, his dismal look firmly back in place. Raven steered Beast Boy over to a booth in the back, hidden in the shadows. She finally released his arm, sliding into one side of the booth, massaging her temples. Beast Boy gazed around the room, slightly dazed. It was a modern place, with large cushions and plush booths for chairs. The tables were random and didn't match. Some of them had dozens and dozens of names carved into the wood surface, making the tops jagged and uneven. Others were colored glass, some with marbled hues swooping through, creating flowing designs. But the décor was also very dark. There were very few lights, and most of them were blue or purple. There were paintings on the walls, most of them consisting of pale people in varying degrees of anguish. Beast Boy had never been to place like this before.

"Sit," Raven commanded, and he obeyed, taking his seat across from her.

"It's a nice place," he said conversationally. Raven didn't answer. Beast Boy propped his elbows up. Their table was a glass one, stained dark blue with purple flecks in it. "So what's with that guy, anyway? We saw him before and you blew him off then. Were you two… seeing each other?" Beast Boy was surprised at how much malice dripped from his voice as he asked the last question.

Raven let out a faint laugh which was more breath than anything else. "Not remotely."

"Then what's the deal?" queried Beast Boy.

Raven didn't answer. She turned instead towards the stage, watching some of the waiters set up the microphone. She pulled out the pad of paper and pencil she had brought with her and opened it to the first page. There was some scribbled note written by Cyborg, but Raven scanned it quickly and saw it was nothing important. She tore it out and began doodling on the next page. Beast Boy stared at her, then shrugged. He leaned over and grabbed the spare piece of paper. He began to shred it.

Raven squeezed the pencil hard, trying not to let Beast Boy get to her. 'Ignore him,' she advised herself. But the incessant tearing sound finally got to her. She slapped the pencil down.

"Fine. I met him a long time ago, and we talked briefly. Our conversation was stopped short by one of those drones looking for Blackfire. I thought that was the last I'd see of him, but he apparently did some research afterwards and cornered me in a store one afternoon. He offered to take me to get something to eat. He was so insistent, I agreed. We went to a small shop around town to grab something. We actually had an intelligent conversation - something I find enlightening after being surrounded by you, Robin, and Cyborg arguing over what video games are the best or what actress is the 'hottest.' But as it got later, he started becoming louder and a bit obnoxious. He eventually said he wanted to show me something, and took me over to his car. It turns out, he was as perverted as the next guy."

Beast Boy stared at her with wide eyes, his paper forgotten. "What did you do?"

Raven allowed a small smile to creep up her face. "I nearly blasted his entire car apart."

Beast Boy leaned back, eyes still as big as saucers. He shook his head, calling the boy something that made Raven start and raise her eyebrows.

"I've never heard you say something like that before," Raven said, a trace of astonishment in her voice.

"I've never heard of a more disrespectful thing in my life! You shouldn't have to put up with that! You're, like, untouchable." Raven narrowed her eyes in confusion and a bit of hurt. Beast Boy shook his hands, trying to explain himself. "I didn't mean it like that! Well, I kind of… wait, no! I meant… well, you're… Raven, you're not… well, not that… I mean, you're too… well, I guess I'm trying to say you're too pretty to be handled by a guy like that."

Raven blinked at him.

Beast Boy blushed crimson, a nearly impossible task for a green human. "Let's just forget it," he muttered, lowering his gaze. Raven nodded.

"Let's," she said, turning back towards the stage. The floodlight had gone on and the manager of café was approaching the microphone.

"If I may have everyone's attention," he said gruffly. He was a stout man, with the look of someone who had worked very, very hard, and was finally relaxing. He had a slight pot belly and his hair and beard were messy and thin. His eyes were small, squinting out at the crowd. They looked as if they had seen so much life and were finally at peace. All in all, he looked tired, but accomplished. "This is a very special event. We are welcoming budding poets, these new writers on the scene. All of the people who are about to perform today have a similar dream; they all want to share their thoughts with the world. They all have a great amount of talent. Who knows? Perhaps this will be the beginning of a writer who will shake the world with their thoughts, their ideas. Many, many famous people have started off small, and look where they are today. Remember, friends, the pen is mightier than the sword. Who knows what visionary in here we share this café with? They have their dreams to share with everyone, everywhere; today, they share them with us. I hope you all enjoy this truly unique event." There was scattered clapping. Most people were still in awe of his words.

"Wow," murmured Beast Boy. Raven nodded silently across the table. The man smiled warmly, a fatherly look to him. He stepped off the podium, hands clasped behind his back.

A nervous boy about sixteen replaced him at the front. He held a small sheet of paper in front of him, fumbling with it. He quivered slightly, a bead of sweat forming at his forehead. The lights were blinding him so he couldn't see the audience, but he was well aware of their presence.

"This is-" he began, but stopped as his voice squeaked. There was muffled laughter. The boy cleared his throat and tried again. "This is 'Gleam of the Moon' by… well, me." And with that, he began to recite his poem with a stronger voice.

"**_In the gleam of the moon  
_**_**He walks, weary and thin, into the room  
**__**Not a moment too soon  
**__**In the gleam of the moon**_

_**He wipes the soles of his shoes  
**__**On the floor, with no news  
**__**As she sat in her chair, taking a snooze  
**__**In the gleam of the moon**_

_**He bends down to remove  
**__**Her jacket. He puts it on the groove  
**__**In the floor where he sits, on the move  
**__**In the gleam of the moon**_

_**No doctor will see her soon  
**__**She will be alone with the child, brand new  
**__**He will be the only one who knew  
**_**_In the gleam of the moon._**"

Raven and Beast Boy exchanged glances. There was some applause as they boy stepped down from the stage with relief.

"A little… strange, but not bad," Beast Boy said, scratching his chin in an exaggerated motion. Raven raised an eyebrow in agreement.

They settled into their chairs as the next person took the stand.

Robin wandered the halls of the Towers aimlessly. He had searched for Cyborg to do some training, but had been unable to locate the metallic teenager. He passed by the different doors, bored and looking for something to do.

He paused in front of Starfire's door. He knocked. Maybe she was inside…

She was. "Come in!" came calling through the door, and Robin happily obeyed. Starfire lay sprawled on her bed, her feet up in the air while she propped herself up on her elbows. She flipped over onto her back and slid off, landing neatly on the floor. "May I help you, Robin?"

"No, I'm just bored. What are you up to?" Robin questioned, leaning around Starfire to see what she had been reading. It looked like it was a magazine, but before Robin could get a closer look, Starfire had wrapped her arms around his neck. Robin grinned.

"It is just a bit of light reading," she replied coyly. Robin lifted his hand and began to twirl a strand of her hair in his fingers.

"Can I tear you away from it?" Robin teased. Starfire leaned in.

"Please," she whispered. She pushed herself up against him, and before he lost himself entirely in the kiss, Robin was able to steal a glance at the title of the article Starfire had been reading: "How to Drive Him Wild"…

There were roars of laughter as the most recent poet stepped off the stage, raising his arms in a rock star-like manner. He had shifted the mood slightly with a hilarious piece that left his audience in stitches. Beast Boy was cracking up at his table, while even Raven was laughing behind her hand. She had jotted stuff down on the pad of paper, but at the moment, all anyone could focus on was the piece they had just heard.

"That was sweet!" cried Beast Boy, looking over at Raven. She gazed back, secretly pleased that the green Titan was enjoying himself so much.

Another person was already taking the stand. She was a bit older than the Titans, with her hair up in large, red spikes. Her nose was pierced, as well as her ears and navel. She wore a dark green shirt that stretched tightly across her oversized chest and mesh sleeves that ended in small gloves. She played with her gum line with her tongue, running over the top of her teeth.

"Sorry to wind this down," she said in a tone that indicated she was not sorry at all. "I've got a slightly more depressing poem." She withdrew a sheet of dark blue paper from her pants pocket in an exaggerated slow movement. Sighing audibly, she began to speak.

"**_You were the only one for me  
_**_**You knew my secrets, and I yours  
**__**You held my destiny in the palm of your hands  
**__**And yet, this wasn't enough for you  
**__**You raped me of my love, my feelings  
**__**You destroyed my entity from within  
**__**Was my love not enough for you?  
**__**What more could you ask for?  
**__**You chose the other one instead  
**__**Power over me  
**__**Your own over mine  
**__**You knew my secrets, and I yours  
**__**What this not enough for you?  
**__**Can you only return to me,  
**__**Come back the light that is me,  
**__**Your cold flesh returned to life,  
**_**_Could you only come back to me?_**"

Raven glared at the girl on stage. "Freak," she muttered, then turned to Beast Boy. She was startled to see him gazing down into his lap, his eyes sad. "Beast Boy?" she asked quietly.

Beast Boy found his hands were shaking, but he didn't even care. That poem was far too similar to recent events for his liking.

Another poet approached the microphone, but the green teen didn't even notice. Raven frowned nervously at him, then turned to listen to the newest poet.

Was it even possible? The poem seemed to perfectly describe what had happened with Terra. She had seemed to perfect for him when they'd met; Beast Boy had fallen head over heels. He had trusted her beyond the limits of his own being, believing they were meant for each other. But she had thrown it all away… and for what? For power? For strength? For control? She was in the same boat as Raven control-wise, and she had still turned herself over to Slade. Even after her betrayal, Beast Boy had still defended her. She'd redeemed herself in the end, but by then, it was too late.

He glanced over at Raven, who watched the current poet stumble over his lines. Had she even noticed how flawlessly the poem fit? Did she even care? Beast Boy doubted it. She had always hated Terra.

Beast Boy clenched his fists. Was he being unfaithful to her memory by being here… with Raven?

"This place can get pretty depressing, huh?" Beast Boy asked dully, looking at Raven. He wanted to hear what she would answer with.

Raven thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "I guess it can, yeah. But you have to keep in mind what amazing pieces of art can come from inside when you're depressed."

Beast Boy picked at a spot on the cushion. He knew she was right, but he still felt confused. So depressing wasn't always bad… but what did that mean for him?

Another girl was getting up to the stage. She was short and had to lower the microphone to reach it. She wore a black shirt trimmed with pink. She had on a long black skirt, with neon pink tights with black dots underneath. She wore combat boots, also black and pink. She was pale, with freckles that stood out like the spots on a bird's egg. However, her eyes held wisdom far beyond that usual for a girl of her age.

She carefully unfolded her paper and began to read.

"**_Can you hear me out there?  
_**_**I know it's hard to hear my voice  
**__**I'm so far away from you  
**__**I didn't leave you by my choice  
**__**I was ripped away too soon**_

_**Can you hear me out there?  
**__**I want to hold your hand again  
**__**And tell you everything's OK  
**__**I would wish away all the pain  
**__**And let you show me the way**_

_**Can you hear me out there?  
**__**We cannot reclaim the past  
**__**We can only keep the memories  
**__**Those days flew by so fast  
**__**Don't let our friendship flee**_

_**Can you hear me out there?  
**__**The winds have blown so cold  
**__**I've made my mistakes and I know it  
**__**I lost myself in days untold  
**__**I'm sorry to have fought the bit**_

_**Can you hear me out there?  
**__**What's past is past, I know  
**__**I can't undo the damage I've done  
**__**I tried to fix it, I stooped so low  
**__**And in the end, you still won**_

_**Can you hear me out there?  
**__**You were right all along  
**__**And I should have known  
**__**You were right and I was wrong  
**__**Now I sit here all alone**_

_**Can you hear me out there?  
**__**It's alright for me, though  
**__**I've finally found my place  
**__**I betrayed you, this is so  
**__**And I vow not to show my face**_

_**Can you hear me out there?  
**__**I have wronged you and I'm sad  
**__**That you cannot know my pain  
**__**You'll never know the feelings I had  
**__**When I saw your face in the rain**_

_**Can you hear me out there?  
**__**But I am repenting where I am  
**__**And this is how it should be  
**__**It is time for you to get out of this jam  
**__**It is time for you to be free**_

_**Can you hear me out there?  
**__**It is time for you fly up high  
**__**On the wings of a magpie, a raven  
**__**A blackbird, a starling, into the sky  
**__**They shall take you to the safe haven**_

_**C**__**an you hear me out there?  
**__**This love we shared has faded  
**__**Grown thin and turned to dust  
**__**But do not think you're jaded  
**__**This end was indeed a must**_

_**Can you hear me out there?  
**__**Our love has shed it feathers  
**__**There they sit upon the floor  
**__**It breaks free from its tethers  
**__**And shines forevermore**_

_**Can you hear me out there?  
**__**Our love is fledgling bird  
**__**It has lost its baby down  
**__**It blinks at us without a word  
**__**Without a movement, without a sound**_

_**Can you hear me out there?  
**__**Our love is a love of friendship  
**__**Beautiful and pure  
**__**And I hold it against my lip  
**__**Its radiance not immured**_

_**Can you hear me out there?  
**__**I bid you to follow your heart  
**__**Hear the call from our bond's beak  
**__**We are never far apart  
**__**Go, find your true love that you seek**_

_**Can you hear me out there?**_

She lowered the paper from in front of her face. She blinked at the audience, slightly nervous. Her poem was long, and she wasn't sure if she had held their attention. Reading it aloud to a huge group of people made it sound childish to her. She lifted a boot slowly, balancing it on her toe, gazing at the crowd she couldn't see.

Beast Boy blinked. He put his head down. He looked up. He blinked again. He was suddenly struck that the entire café had gone completely silent. The girl seemed to be growing more anxious by the second. Beast Boy started clapping.

The girl whirled to peer through the bright light at the source of clapping. 'Thank you,' she thought with immense relief.

Clapping sounded from next to Beast Boy. He turned his head to see Raven had joined him. He smiled at her, then turned to look back at the girl. More and more people began clapping, many wiping tears from their eyes. One boy in the back whistled, which started up a whole chorus of shrill sounds. Weeping girls came to the bottom of the stage so the girl could see clearly how much she had moved them. She bent down to shake the hands of the crying girls, one hand covering her mouth in astonishment. The scattered clapping grew to a roar as the girl stood up, and she beamed at everyone she could not see.

Somehow, a boy managed to find a flower and sent it up through the crowd to the stage. As the weeping girls passed it up to her, tears sprang to the girl's eyes. She leapt lightly into the waiting arms of the girls, shocked and pleased.

The next poet approached the stage. He was an older man, wearing large sunglasses and a black ski hat. As he reached the microphone, he chuckled. "That will be a hard act to follow," he said good-naturedly. "I'm not sure my poem will meet these high standards. You just made my life difficult!" he said, shaking his fast in mock rage at the girl. She giggled and smiled at him.

As the poet began to recite, the girl started walking towards a table nearby where Beast Boy and Raven sat. She arrived at one a few feet away and collapsed into a chair. A boy next to her slapped her on the back, grinning at her. She smiled weakly back.

Beast Boy stood up. Raven hissed under her breath, "Where are you going?"

"Just over here," Beast Boy said quietly. "I'll be right back."

Beast Boy sidled over to the table where the girl sat and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to stare at the green Titan over her shoulder, her eyes growing wide with recognition. "You're-"

"Yeah. Beast Boy." He extended his hand to her. She took it in awe. "That was an amazing poem. Is there any way I can get a copy?"

The girl blinked at him for a moment, then cried "Yes!" Her friend tapped her on the arm and she slapped a hand over her mouth. She nodded silently at Beast Boy, and slowly removed her hand. "You can have this copy, if you really want it. I'm so overwhelmed and honored."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely!" she whispered.

"Can I ask you for a little favor, then?"

"Anything!"

"Can you sign this for me?" The girl blushed scarlet. Her friend pulled a pen out of his deep pocket, smirking, and handed it to her. She quickly scribbled her name on the top of the poem, and Beast Boy smiled gratefully. "Thanks," he said quietly and turned to go, but the boy stopped him.

"Can we have _your_ autograph?"

Beast Boy smiled. "Sure! You want to me to get you Raven's too?" They leaned back to peer around the Titan to stare at Raven. She gazed stonily back. Beast Boy walked back over to his table and slid the pad of paper away from Raven. He tucked the girl's poem inside his pocket, then signed a clean sheet of paper. He shoved it towards Raven. She didn't move.

"I thought I told you not to embarrass me."

"I'm not! I can't help it if we're stars wherever we go!" Raven raised an eyebrow, but she signed the paper anyway. She pushed it back towards Beast Boy. He reached over to grab it back, but Raven hadn't removed her hand yet. He touched her hand instead. Too late, he realized he kept his hand there a little too long. "Sorry," he muttered quickly. Raven pulled away as if she had been burned.

"It's fine," she said stiffly. 'If you blush, I will _kill_ you,' she thought inwardly to herself.

Beast Boy quickly recovered and walked over to the other table. Both teenagers thanked him profusely, but the hero waved their thanks away. He ambled back over to his table just as the other poet was wrapping up. The man walked off the stage, bowing on his way out.

"This red top definitely goes with the blue pants!" a small girl cried animatedly, waving her Barbie doll around in the air. She sat in nursery school, playing with a group of her friends. They were comparing the latest additions to their Barbie collections.

"Check out this violet dress," another girl said with a slight lisp. She picked up a small plastic comb and began to brush out the Barbie's tangles.

"Ooh, where'd you get that?" asked a third child, indicating a gray hat with a red flower.

"Well," Slade began, taking the hat off the doll and admiring it from every angle. "This was a limited edition vintage hat. You could only get it by collecting thirty coupons and sending away for it. It's all the rage, though, so it was well worth the effort." The girls didn't completely understand Slade's long words, but they were still extremely impressed.

"Do you want to trade?" asked a girl, holding up a neon pink hat, feathers sticking out at jaunty angles. "Mine's pretty too."

Slade scoffed. "Hardly. Yours doesn't even compare to the rarity and beauty of my hat. If only I had the real thing," Slade sighed dreamily.

"What do you think of these boots?" the first girl asked, holding out another doll, searching for Slade's approval. He took it, studying it carefully.

"Clearly, these are brand new. Very good. But you see here? These laces are just plastic. My suggestion would be to go for say… a dark green pair with actual leather laces. You can order them off the Internet."

The girls all murmured in astonishment. "What _else_ can you do with the Internet?" someone asked.

Slade clapped his hands. "Oh, so many things! You can buy every accessory for Barbie imaginable, and even buy some of her merchandise! I got a gorgeous blanket at a great price just the other day! It seems the only thing you _can't_ do with the Internet is take it over… but I _will_ find a way," Slade said, his voice growing cold and dark. His one eye narrowed. "Someday…" He stewed in his thoughts for a moment, but then looked around, noticing that the girls were watching him with fascination. "But isn't this outfit awesome?" he squealed, holding up another doll.

The girls began squeaking with delight at the new outfit they were asked to admire. Their cries alerted the attention of one of the aides who worked at the day care center, and she turned to see the cluster of girls around the oddly dressed man. She jumped slightly, then began charging across the playground towards them.

"Excuse me!" she called out, waving an arm over her head. The girls peered over at her. "What do you think you're doing? Sir?"

Slade glanced up at the approaching woman. "Drat!" he cried. He quickly scooped up his Barbies and began running at top speed.

"Wait!" yelled the woman.

"Fear not!" Slade called over his shoulder to the girls. "Barbie shall unite us again!" He clambered up a jungle gym, whirling to stare out at the entire playground. He had the attention of every child there.

Slade saluted them all. "I think we've all reached a very special place…," he said smoothly, then leapt off the metal gym backwards. All the aides were involved now, and raced over to try and stop the strange man. But by the time they reached where he disappeared, he was gone. All that was left was his echoing cry of, "Man, I'm good!"

The last poet of the afternoon wrapped up his poem and scampered off stage. There was a round of applause, and the manager took the stand once more.

"It appears we had a few cancellations from a few of our esteemed poets, so we have some extra time. I believe this calls for an open microphone! Is there anyone in the audience who has a poem they wish to share? Don't be shy, we are all learning and progressing together." He lifted his hands, peering around.

"Hey Rae," Beast Boy murmured, leaning over. "You should get up there and do one."

"Well… I have one…" Raven said in a small voice. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and began fingering it, playing with the corners. If it wasn't so out of character for her, Beast Boy could have sworn he heard a tiny bit of fear in her voice.

"C'mon, everyone will love it!"

Raven frowned. "I doubt it."

"They so will!" Raven still seemed hesitant, so Beast Boy leaned back, trying another method. "So you're scared?"

Raven scowled at him. "Hardly."

Beast Boy folded his arms behind his head. "No, no, it's OK, I understand. You're afraid to get up there in front of all those scary people."

Raven opened her mouth to respond, then threw her hands in the air. "I'm not arguing this."

"You _are_ scared."

"No, I'm not; I am _choosing_ not to read my poem in front of all these people."

"Fine, I won't make you." Raven raised an eyebrow at him. "Seriously." He reached across the table and snatched the paper from Raven's grasp. "But that doesn't mean _I_ won't read it!"

The green Titan leapt from his seat and made a mad dash for the stage. But he was encased in dark energy before he could take even a few steps. Raven glared at him, livid.

"Fine, fine. Can I at least read it?"

"No!"

Beast Boy smirked cheekily and unfolded the paper and began to read. Raven stared and tried to grab it with her powers, but Beast Boy had too tight of a hold on it. She couldn't remove it from his hands without ripping it. She sprang up from her seat as well and extended her arm to grab it physically from him, but Beast Boy waved it out of reach. She leaned further across him, but he was adamant.

"C'mon, I really wanna read it!" Beast Boy whined. A few people had turned their heads to see what the commotion was.

"No!" hissed Raven again.

Beast Boy tried to bend away from Raven, but she was as unrelenting. They continued to struggle, but Beast Boy was able to twist away long enough for a quick read.

_**Please see me  
**__**I see you and I saw you before her  
**__**Please hear me  
**__**I hear you and I heard you before her  
**__**Please hold me  
**__**I hold you and I held you before her  
**__**Please know me  
**__**I know you and I knew you before her  
**__**Please care for me  
**__**I care for you and I cared for you before her  
**__**Please understand me  
**__**I understand you and I understood you before her  
**__**Please help me  
**__**I help you and I helped you before her  
**__**Please love me  
**__**I love you and I loved you before her**_

Beast Boy blinked. He paused a second too long and Raven grabbed the paper back. Beast Boy stared at her in awe as he slowly came to the realization that everyone was staring at them. A group of teenagers had been approaching the stage to recite their own poems, and they had stopped short to watch the argument between the two Titans. The other were turned around in their chairs, leaning every which way to get a better view.

"I told you not to embarrass me!"

"Look, I'm sorry-"

"We're leaving. Now." Raven grasped Beast Boy by the wrist and dragged him away from the onlookers. The doors to the café swung open without any more prompting than Raven's magic. She didn't even bother getting to more secluded spot, but instead took to the air, still clutching Beast B2s's wrist.

Beast Boy felt himself grow more nervous by the second. Because Raven was holding his arm, if he were to transform into his usual hawk, he wouldn't be able to fly. But he didn't have to worry, for Raven had already begun her descent onto a rooftop.

The shape shifter landed ungracefully on his rear. Raven, on the other hand, landed neatly on her feet. She shoved the poem, slightly crinkled now, deep into her pocket. "I can't believe you did that!" she cried, seething. Beast Boy looked up at her sheepishly. "That was so disrespectful! Do I go through your personal things? No! You're so immature, I can't believe you would honestly do something like this!"

Beast Boy mumbled something, but Raven couldn't understand him.

"What?"

"It was really, really good," he said quietly. "Like, it was awesome. I loved it."

Raven stopped, lost for words. She gazed at him, confused. All her anger drained out of her, leaving her feeling hollow and beaten. She almost felt bad for yelling at her teammate. "I wrote it when I was in a really, really weird mood, late at night. I don't… even know what I meant by it."

Beast Boy smiled weakly. "It was still incredible."

Raven seemed to be debating what to say, until she settled on, "Whatever. I appreciate it, but I didn't really want anyone reading it. That's why I decided against reciting it."

"Oh."

"Let's just go home," Raven sighed, and they both leapt into the air.

The two Titans landed at the base of the Tower, slightly giddy. "You almost got _killed_!" cried Beast Boy. Raven stood, shaking and blinking.

"If I hadn't swerved at the last minute-"

"-those geese would have cooked your goose! Ha, that was awesome! I wish I'd gotten a picture of that!"

"It's not funny!" said the dark girl, but her eyes said otherwise. The teammates entered the building and used the elevator to reach the main room, rehashing Raven's narrow escape from a flock of geese. But when they reached the top and felt the landing, they saw an extremely disturbing sight. Cyborg sat on the couch with a wad of tinfoil wrapped around his head, tapering into a point at the top.

"Da Squirrel… Foamy… he can read minds now," Cyborg whispered in response to the stares he got.

Raven opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. She threw her hands in the air. "I give up. I totally and completely give up."

"Cy…" Beast Boy said slowly, sitting down next to his metal friend. "Do you realize how… freaky that sounds?"

"It's true!" Cyborg exclaimed vehemently. "I was just about to catch him when he leapt out of the way! When I was gonna bank left, he went right! He knew my every thought!"

Beast Boy nodded slowly. He looked at Raven, but she just threw her hands up again. Luckily for the two Titans, Cyborg slipped his tinfoil hat off and sighed.

"I don't know where you guys went, but don't leave again. I can't be left alone here for hours on end."

Raven was about to say something sarcastic, but Beast Boy cut her off. "Where're Robin and Starfire?"

"In Star's room. I went in there, like, nine times, and they didn't even notice me." Beast Boy and Raven stared. "Oh yeah," Cyborg said, nodding quickly. "It's that bad."

"What were they _doing_?" asked Beast Boy. Cyborg just shook his head.

"You don't wanna know. _I _don't even wanna know. I didn't really inspect them or ask them. If you really want to, go ahead. But I doubt they'll hear you."

"You know what? I think I'll pass," Beast Boy said.

"Agreed," replied Raven, and the three settled down into their normal routines, avoiding the entire hallway where Robin and Starfire were located. A couple hours later when the pair emerged, the rest of the team couldn't even look at them without cracking up.

* * *

Author's Notes: Whew! That was my longest chapter to date. I'm very proud. It is… about twelve pages. More author's notes at the bottom.

OK, review replies… here we go.

Q2- Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the flashback scene. I saw that you reviewed Chapter 1, and I hope you've had a chance to read through to this chapter!

Change-Of-Heart2- Thank you for reading! Haha, albino gray squirrels? That's awesome! Yes, I had to find _some_ way to shove them all in the car. I often plan out scenes like that in my head, but later, I realize there's something that doesn't quite fit. So I try to find creative ways around it. I'm not sure if I succeed, but I try! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!

ScarletAngel68- For some reason, when you reviewed, your name didn't show up at the top. But I only had to read, like, three lines to recognize your review. That definitely deserves a reward of some sort… I'll think of something, hehe. Anyway, you were _almost_ first to review, so you get lots of points! Ha, as for my being asked out, I dumped him two Saturdays ago. _sigh_ My love life never works out. BUT there is another hot guy… _slaps self_ Need to focus on writing. Writing. Writing. Anyway, don't worry, I obsess over the couples too. I nearly choked when I saw "Birthmark." I _still_ have trouble watching it without getting the urge to punch something. Aw, crap! You discovered Stalwart's secret! Cyborg is polite. And pimpin'. And just awesome in general! Yay! Hehe, I think the R/S relationship is very respectful, but I am trying to expand on it slightly here, throwing in huge dashes or hormones and bad timing, stir well. I dedicate their scenes in this chapter to you for reminding me it needed to be done. Wow, if Slade _were_ Starfire… it would explain why they're so obsessed with each other. It would explain the freakish-Michael Jacksonish-scene in "Haunted." But if Starfire is Slade, then who is Starfire? o.O Cyborg is the man! He owns a portion of my soul as well. He'd probably own all of it if parts of it weren't dedicated all sorts of other awesome people. Aw! I hope you caught up with the episodes you missed, I loved them all! Well, "Closer" might have taken on a life of its own, but I was super glad, 'cause it was amazingly awesome! Haha, your twins/sisters comment made me burst out laughing! I am totally using that in my every day life. Woot! Whoa, I better wrap this up… this is like, longer than the chapter itself… :B more hugs

RebelRikki- Thank you for your comments! Glad the shortness didn't take away from Beast Boy's cuteness! Hehe, yes, I edited the song slightly to prevent our wonderful Cyborg from swearing. Although in recent episodes, he's come close, but I don't think he's really got that bad of a mouth, hehe. And you're totally right, Serasim's face was identical to Bumblebee's. Apparently Cyborg has a particular taste, hehe. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

bbslilangel- Thank you for reading! I'm glad you're finding the story funny so far! That's definitely my intention! Hopefully you found this chapter equally as funny!

heX- Thank you for your comments! Whoa, my best chapter yet? Sweetness! Haha, I hope this chapter was up to par, and I hope you liked it!

swisscheese- Thanks for reviewing! Mmm, your account name is making me hungry. Aw, thanks so much for your sweet comments, they are very much appreciated! Also, great to meet another R/S fan… the world needs as many as it can get! Their relationship is so cute, it's definitely an awesome one. Anyway, I hope you liked the latest chapter!

The Mad shoe- Thanks for reading! I'm glad you liked the kitty/lap scene, that was one of the first scenes I ever thought up for this story. I don't know where I come up with these things. Also, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the Slade scene! Hopefully you liked this chapter!

scathac's warrior- Thank you for reviewing! You might not believe this, but I had no idea there was a real squirrel character named Foamy! When you told me to visit the website, I assumed it was going to be some funny, random picture of a squirrel. When I saw the videos, I immediately called my friend and started yelling, "I didn't make up Foamy!" and the first thing she did was laugh. (OK, the first thing she did was call my psycho, but then she remembered and laughed.) Ah well, I guess I'll just slap a disclaimer on the story so I won't get eaten for Foamy. Thank you very much for telling me! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

ttv- Thank you for reviewing! Haha, I am a girl, last time I checked. I'm glad you found it so funny! It's always great to hear people laugh at my jokes. Hehe, technically, this is my first story, but I did write some when I was very little… but they really make NO sense whatsoever (except to me) so they're none too great. But I tried! Anyway, hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!

SushiChica- Thanks for reading! Yay, another review from you! Yours are always so sweet: Hehe, don't worry, I can't spell either. Yes, you are indeed the Most Faithful Reviewer. Major props! Haha, being sneaky with grounding is awesome… it's a shame I've never gotten to try it. Slade has now added "Doll Murderer" to his resume. He's quite proud. Oh wow, you don't have cable? That stinks mucho! Hehe, my friend's mom works at WalMart and she defends it to no end. I like it, but I go to TJMaxx for clothes. Or wherever. I'm not too picky. : Aw, thank you! The guy I was dating turned out to be a jerk, though. His loss! Don't worry, I liked a guy for six years straight… he never liked me back. Oh well, he goes to a different school now, and now there's this _other_ hot guy in my gym class… OK, I need a life. Aw, pimpin' friends are awesome! Anyway, I'm glad you liked the kitty/lap scene! I tried :B hehe. Anyway, no way, I love hearing Slade ideas! Keep 'em coming! Augh, this is getting a bit lengthy, so I'll wrap it up, but I totally loved your review, thanks so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

crazyanimelover- Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far! Haha, R/S and R/BB are the _only_ couples for me. They rock. They rock real hard. Anyway, hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!

scubagurl- Thanks for reading! I'm glad you liked the R/BB moment! I hope you liked the latest chapter as well!

VeelaChic- Thanks for reviewing! You bet there's more! This is chapter twelve, and I'm thinking there'll be twenty, with an epilogue. Haha, glad to hear you enjoyed Beast Boy's moment of fun! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Twirly/J-Pop/AnimeKittyCafe- Thank you for your comments! I hope this is all you, hehe.) I'm happy to hear you like the couples in the story, because they rock, I must say. (Not like that's anything of _my_ doing; I just support 'em. ;) Hehe, I'm glad you found chapter two funny! It was rather similar to the last chapter, but I just had to write them both. Aw, but Cyborg doesn't suck! He is my buddy, as long as he is not paired with Raven. (I've noticed people either love Cyborg or they hate him. Any particular reason for your feelings?) Haha, I'm glad you like the squirrel! Haha, Craig M. of the Powerpuff Girls… he's an interesting guy. I don't know where he comes up with his stuff! Eep! I hope you haven't died by now! Curse my slowness…) Haha, I love your idea for Slade! Too funny! Keep an eye out for it. ; Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Renee25- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far. Hopefully you liked the latest chapter as well!

Ami-chan-friend-of-M.E.Pal- Thanks for reading! I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and that M.E. Pal introduced it to you! I'm so honored my story would even be bothered to mention! Anyway, I'd love to check out your story! I'm pressed for time now (and a lot lately, ugh) but I promise, as soon as I get even the slimmest chance, I will read your story! Anyway, hopefully you liked the latest chapter!

kawaiiangelic- Thank you for reviewing! I'm happy to hear from another huge R/BB fan! They are awesome. Keep the faith, my friend! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Never-Again-Nevermore- Thanks for your comments! I love your account name, by the way. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the story thus far, and hopefully you liked this chapter!

luvlifecharm- Thank you for reading! I'm happy to hear you enjoy the story! Hope this chapter was good as well!

Robin's Lil Angel- Thanks for your comments! They're were so sweet! I'm touched! I'm really happy to hear you're enjoying the story so much, and I hope this chapter met your expectations!

John Steppenwolf- Thanks for reading! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Hehe, I made Slade crazy in this story, because otherwise, he would have no part in it at all. He isn't really important to the plot, but he's so awesome in the show, I felt I _had_ to include him somehow. Thus came about… Slade gone mad. There is a reason, however, to be revealed later. Heh, I think I knew not all of Henry the VIII's were beheaded, although I may have gotten confused when I wrote the chapter. I learned about that period in history through some books, "Doomed Queen Anne," "Mary, Bloody Mary," and "Beware, Princess Elisabeth." I totally loved the stories, and bought another book recently on the subject (about Anne Boleyn's sister) and am eventually going to read it (I have way too many books, hehe.) I do suggest these books to you if you're interested on the subject, it's a three part series. Anyway, I did make Cyborg a little out there, didn't I? I can see him acting kind of crazy, though. I hope I don't throw I'm off too much. You're right, Cyborg is more of a ladies' man than Robin. That makes me really believe in the R/S and R/BB couples; if Cyborg was meant to be with Raven (or Starfire?) then they wouldn't have all of this Cyborg-pimpin'-action in the show. Anyway, I must say, I took your review to heart as I wrote this chapter. I don't want to join the ranks of other stories, separating Robin and Beast Boy because of their respective relationships. I hoped it doesn't sound too forced in this chapter, but it helps me build on my ever-present theme; the fact that they are a tight-knit group and they have bonds deeper than anything. I just hope I don't get redundant with my theme. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!

warprince2000- Thank you for reading! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far, and I hope you liked this chapter!

somekindafreaky- Thanks for reviewing! I'm happy to hear you like the story! Hopefully the latest chapter was enjoyable as well!

CidGregor- Thanks for your comments! You are right, unfortunately, many stories out there aren't really worth the read. I'm totally honored you feel mine is an exception! Hehe, as I have said to other people, I came up with Slade because if I hadn't shoved him in there as comic relief, he wouldn't have really made it into the story. But I love Slade too much as a character not to include him, so here he is. I'm happy to hear you like the R/S couple, it's always great to hear from other fans! Hmm, as for Cyborg's interruption… my thought was he would be so crazed over the squirrel, he wouldn't even notice anything amiss. You're right though, it is a bit of a stretch. Anyway, I'm very happy to hear that you're even able to enjoy (or at least withstand) the R/BB moments, even though you're more of a T/B supporter. Although we may not agree on that aspect, I'm really glad to hear you're able to read stories with other couples; it shows an open mind. Good for you! I'm glad you were able to read and give feedback with such an openness. Hehe, the poems read in the café were inspired by your thoughts of more internal conflict… I liked the idea very much, and put it in here. I'm expecting a bit more in the future, but I'm not quite sure what spin to take on it. Argh, as for the spelling mistakes/missing words, that's what comes from me not having an editor. I'm not making excuses, by any means; I'm only mentioning. I have such a hard time editing my own pieces because I read them too quickly. I'm trying to get better at it, and my friend has volunteered to read through my chapters (when she's up to it). Anyway, my plan is to have the story last until chapter twenty (I have them outlined), then I'm planning an epilogue, making twenty-one chapters in total. So the story is past the halfway mark, but not by much. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

beastboyluver- Thanks for reading! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! I'm glad you found Slade funny: Haha, random is the way to be! Especially when it involves squirrels! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

bbraeluvr- Thank you for your comments! Great to hear from a fellow R/BB fan! Keep the faith always! I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!

starrobin4eva- Thank you for reading! I'm glad you liked the last chapter. That's terrible you have so much homework! I feel so bad for you! I've been getting a lot too, and it's torture! But don't worry about reading when a chapter first comes out; I'm totally honored that you're reading in the first place! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!

x'hal- Thanks for your comments! I'm really happy to hear you're enjoying the story so much! Ergh, yes, "Birthmark" was way to filled with R/R for anyone's liking (except those who support that pairing). I still think they have only a platonic relationship, but I know the R/R supporters would disagree. Ah well. Keep the R/S and R/BB faith! _proudly waves flag_ Anyway, I hope you liked the latest chapter!

ifartinurdirection- Thanks for reviewing! Hmm, I hadn't noticed that goof in "The Lost Episode", but now that you mention it, I see it. Maybe they thought since the elephant has such large ears…? Hehe, I don't know. Ergh, it stinks to be sick! I have a cold as I write this, and it is none too pleasant. Oh no! That sleepover sounded like it was uncomfortable for you! That stinks! But I'm glad you enjoyed the BB/R parts of the last chapter! As I said who-knows-when before, I split the story up into halves; half focusing on the R/S aspect, then half on the BB/R, with bits of each during the other's half… if that makes any sense. Haha, no, I don't live in Michigan; I live in Connecticut. Tiiiny state where we are forced to take standardized tests called CAPTs… man, do I hate the CAPTs. But thank you for the story suggestions, I will be sure to check them out! I love reading stories, as well as writing them! Hmm, as for your screen name thingy… hehe, I _think_ I've heard it before… is it from the company that makes the Happy Bunny, but this one has a bulldog or something? Or am I losing my mind? _crosses fingers_ Hope I get that cookie! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

TtitansFan- Thanks for your comments! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the story thus far. Also, your review was so sweet: Thank you! Haha, we would rock the streets of NYC! Hehe, anyway, I hope you liked the latest chapter!

BB4Rae- Thanks you for reading! I hope this chapter had the desired amount of fluff, and that you enjoyed it!

disappearer/Syani- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying Slade; he's so fun to write, and I'm happy hearing that other people derive as much entertainment from him as I do! Also, great to hear that you support the BB/R pairing! Keep the faith! Hehe, hope you liked this chapter!

M.E. Pal- Thanks for your comments! Eh, I realize last chapter not a whole heck of a lot happened, but I hope you still enjoyed it! Whoa, tons of Slade ideas! Sweet! Hehe, as you can tell, I used your Slade idea with the Barbies for this chapter, although I tweaked it slightly… I hope you don't mind! I totally love your other ideas too! Look for them in the future! Anyway, I'm not sure you could call this chapter as having more "action," but I hope it was still good for you!

defender- Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far, and I hope you liked this chapter!

RainSprite03- Thanks for reading! I'm glad you're finding the squirrel parts amusing! I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!

Bluerose-S.S- Thanks for your comments! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the last chapter! Hehe, R/S and R/BB stories are my favorite kind! How could anyone _not_ enjoy them? They'd have to be crazy! Hehe, anyway, hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!

Star-Elie- Thank you for reading! Poor Cyborg, he's all alone, isn't he? But I think he enjoys being a pimp too much to settle down. ; Hehe, hope you liked the latest chapter!

BellaRose- Thank you for your comments! Hehe, I love reading other people's stories… I just have no more time. : Ah well, I'm trying my hardest to clear up my schedule so I can catch up with all the stories I have to read! Haha, I'm glad you enjoyed the kitty/lap scene! I wish it would happen in the actual show! Anyway, that My Little Pony thing your sister has DOES sound annoying. Poor you! I hope this chapter helps you endure the constant singing of My Little Pony! Haha, I just got your other review! Anyway, you were right, someone _had_ made a similar suggestion for Slade, but I'm going to quote you both! Hehe, hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!

StarGazingMoonPrincess- Thanks for reviewing! (What an awesome account name!) Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far! _gasps_ Could someone have discovered Slade's secret? Hehe, I'd love to hear your theory… I'm curious as to what other people think happened to poor Slade. Please share! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

mr.rogers- Thank you for reading! I'm glad you like the story so far! I'm honored you took the time to review! I'm glad you're finding it funny. (And don't worry, I'm terrible at spelling too!) Hehe, hopefully you liked this chapter!

Robin's Gurl- Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far, and I hope you liked the latest chapter!

KrazywithaK- Thanks for reading! I'm happy to hear you've been enjoying the story! It's also awesome to hear that you like the Slade bits… I think I have too much fun with them. It's a good thing Slade can't come kill me for what I make him do! _looks around nervously_ Right? Hehe, anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

WoofBlackHayate- Thank you for your comments! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far! Haha, awesome, you support the good pairings! Aw, I'm honored that SushiChica likes my story enough to get other people into it. Also, thanks for the bit about getting Raven and Beast Boy together. I agree with you, it would be very out of character for her to suddenly say, "I love Beast Boy. Whee!" I'm trying to build up to a realization for her, and I hope it's working. Hehe, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

labyrinth(An)- Thanks for reviewing! I'm happy to hear you liked the last chapter. I'm glad it was able to cheer you up! That cheers me up! Anyway, hopefully you enjoyed this chapter as well!

CDN:AB23- Thank you for reading! I'm glad you found Slade funny! Anyway, I hope you liked the latest chapter!

GothicJoker1089- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far, and that you find Robin and Starfire to be in character. That was certainly my goal. Also great to hear you're a BB/R fan: Anyway, I hope you liked the latest chapter!

cheesexofxdoom- Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far! And original? That makes my day! Whee! Also, I'm happy to hear you like the R/S interactions. I tried _very_ hard to keep them in character, yet still going somewhere the show hasn't taken them (yet). Anyway, hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!

jazzfire- Thank you for reading! Well, Robin didn't expect to need any help in the store (being the brave leader that he is, hehe). But it sounds to me you haven't read past the first chapter… you might not even be reading this. But I can still thank you for your time, and hope you'll read the rest of the story!

Myu-Ichigo- Thanks for your comments! Haha, who was this friend who bugged you into reading my strange little story? Also, I'm really glad you're finding the Slade parts so funny! That makes me happy: As for a BB/R kiss… wait and see. ; Haha, yay, a big hug! If I'm not dead for being so late… anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

kimnronever- Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you like the story, and here's the update! Hope you enjoyed it!

Anicrosser- Thanks for reading! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far! Hopefully you liked this chapter!

Author's Notes: WOW, that "review replies" thing is a _beast_ this chapter. I'm so thankful to all of my reviewers, and I hope it doesn't look like I'm trying to stroke my own ego by showing how many reviews I have to reply to, or I'm wasting people's time… /

Anyway, I'd like everyone to take note: the guy I share this account with will be using! (I think… hehe.) Please, still address your reviews to me, as it is MY e-mail that they go to. If you're reviewing one of his stories (of which there are none posted right now) then just review straight to him; I'll make sure he gets it. Although I'm not sure _what_ kind of stories he plans to write, or _when_… but oh well. For now, you only have to worry about reviewing this chapter! ;

Annnd I'd like to apologize for the terrible, terrible poetry you had to endure this chapter. I usually can write better… I don't know what happened. -

Also, I'd like to say, there's this show on Adult Swim called "**Robot Chicken**." Anyone ever heard of it? Well, in one episode entitled "Vegetable Fun Fest," they spoof Teen Titans. Sadly, I didn't get to see it, but my cousin did, and he said it was very funny! I'm going to keep my eyes peeled, and if anyone knows anything about it, or where I can find it online, please let me know!

On a side note, I'm posting this on April 2nd, as you are probably aware. My birthday happens to be April 6th (15!). A _wonderful_ present would be a nice review! _smiles slyly_


	13. Light Reading

Author's Notes: Wow. I am **_SO_** sorry this took so long. I won't bore you with the details of my life, but let's just say I had to deal with a lot of crap from friends. I mean, that was a huge understatement. Life was pretty rough, but I got through it and came out much more mature than I had been. I'm really glad about it, and I'm hoping it shows through in my writing. I got really sad and depressed throughout this time, but in the end, I was sort of glad. It really opened my eyes to the way some people are. I'm totally fine now, though, don't worry!

Also, I wasn't sure when I'd get this chapter out, because of the release of the sixth Harry Potter book. Well, I already finished it (and would have had it finished earlier were it not for the anime convention I attended Saturday and the birthday party Sunday). I was a bit put out by it, and decided to trying writing to get my mind off it. Just like last time, it'll take me a few days to absorb it. I'd be more than happy discussing it with anyone interested, although if you put it in a review, I'm going to ask that you try _not_ to put spoilers in it, just in case. (I **loved** the book, obviously, but it made me sad!)

And a quick note: I apologize for the last chapter not having scene changes. When I uploaded the file, it deleted all of my dashes, and I was in a rush to put it up, so I just slapped on those long bars and totally forgot about my scene change dashes. So, sorry about that. I may reload the chapter at some later date, but I don't want to mess with it now.

Also, the Slade idea of this chapter belongs to ScarletAngel68. I don't think she even meant for it to be an official idea, but she mentioned it and I thought it was hilarious!

OK, enough of my jabbering. I know everyone really wants to get on with this chapter, and that's what we'll do!

-----

Chapter 13: Light Reading

Robin paced back and forth in his room, his head swirling. He was feeling agitated, and he hated that feeling. He was feeling nervous, and he hated that feeling. He was feeling sick to his stomach, and he _really_ hated that feeling.

He swore under his breath, turning sharply on his foot. He absentmindedly considered the fact that he was wearing the carpet thin, but he didn't really care at that point.

There were a few different issues that were fueling his emotions. For one thing, Stalwart had been silent ever since they had delivered the crystal to him. Although they had had no agreement to keep in contact, Robin had expected at least some updates on the progress of the device. They had, after all, had a hand in helping it to work. But there was nothing. Robin had even hopped onto his motorcycle a few times, contemplating riding down to the docks where they had met. But he eventually decided against it. If he could avoid going back there, he would.

Another nagging thought was that they'd been promised a reward and were yet to receive it. Frankly, he didn't even really want whatever it was Stalwart was going to give them, but he knew Stalwart would be forced to give them _something_. That would mean yet another little session with him, and Robin wanted to avoid that too. But he also wanted to check up on the man.

But what if Stalwart had been lying, and never intended to give them anything? Well, they wouldn't suffer any loss, but that would prove Stalwart untrustworthy, which would mean they'd have to deal with him even more…

Robin stopped and began to knead his temples with his knuckles. What was he going to do?

He began pacing again. There was something else that was weighing heavily on his shoulders…

For the past three days, he had been trying to ask Starfire out on official date. He decided that was definitely time for that. They'd been together for a while, and it seemed fitting. But what could he possibly do? Preferably something really special. But Robin was drawing a blank. He'd considered the movies, but Starfire had already been. He considered dinner, but was that really special enough? He thought about trying to rent a boat for the afternoon, but it seemed a little pointless, seeing as how she could fly. He deliberated about taking her to the pier, but they'd been before.

Robin was planning on asking Raven where she'd want to be taken on a date, and go by that, but decided against it. Starfire and Raven, while best friends, were very different people. Something Raven would enjoy might not be Starfire's idea of fun.

Then there was the thought about questioning Cyborg and Beast Boy on their opinions, but Robin nixed that idea before he'd even fully formed it. They would mock him relentlessly, and besides, what did they know?

The Boy Wonder gnashed his teeth. This entire relationship business was a lot harder than it seemed! He was more than happy to just stay at home, "hanging out" in each others rooms, but he knew that wouldn't satisfy him for long, and Starfire especially. His teammates had been dropping hints for days.

"Uh…" Cyborg had looked uncertain when Robin had asked him to play some video games. "Shouldn't you be out with Star?"

"Well, I guess you can have it," Raven had said, hesitating before handing Robin a large book he had requested. "But don't lose yourself in the plot; you should be taking Starfire somewhere."

"Dude," Beast Boy had stated, shaking his head as Robin asked him to go jogging. "It's not me who you should be doing stuff with right. Go take Starfire somewhere!"

Yeah. Definitely time to ask her out.

"But how?" he murmured aloud. "What am I supposed to say? What are we supposed to do?"

He sat down in a huff on a small chair next to his desk. Which should he figure out first? Stalwart or Starfire? He shook his head, balancing his forehead lightly on his fingertips. He would go with the simpler one first.

He stood up, heading for the door. He would go downstairs to research Stalwart on the Internet.

---

Raven chanted quietly to herself. She hovered just over her bed, reciting her mantra over and over again. Her concentration was solely on the words she spoke, over and over again. Her entire being was focused on her spell, all of her energy flowing through her body and out each time she spoke. It was as methodical as breathing, and she felt light and detached from the world. Nothing could break her trance.

"Raven!"

She scrunched up her eyebrows. Almost nothing.

"What do you want?" she demanded scathingly, cracking open a single eye. The person outside her door was not deterred by her frosty demeanor.

"I want to show you something!" called Beast Boy through the heavy metal door.

"Is this some sort of joke?" questioned Raven in a bored tone. Beast Boy shook his head vehemently, then remembered she couldn't see him.

"No way!" he cried. "I really do have something to show you!"

Raven sighed. She allowed herself to float down until she rested on her bed. She slipped off the covers to hop lightly to the floor. She lifted her hood as she approached the door and slid it open a few inches. She saw Beast Boy's hopeful face. He grinned sheepishly, his hands clasping something behind his back.

"Can I… uh… come in?" he asked awkwardly. He knew how much Raven despised unwanted visitors in her room.

Raven slid the door open the rest of the way. She leaned casually against the frame. "You can't show me out here? What is it?"

Beast Boy played with the item in his hands nervously, although Raven still couldn't figure out what it was. "Well, yeah, I could show you out here… but I'd prefer to show you in your room. It's private… sort of."

Raven raised an eyebrow under her hood. She studied Beast Boy's face. He seemed tense and uneasy, which was to be expected. Raven wasn't exactly the easiest person to read. If Beast Boy said or did something to offend her, he might not know until it was too late. But, with a slight jolt, Raven realized that Beast Boy seemed a lot more confident than she could recall. He was a somewhat insecure person by nature, and she had grown accustomed to that, but right now, his eyes seemed to burn with an intensity she was unfamiliar with. He was a man on a mission, his stubbornness mirroring hers. She was so taken aback, she let him in without a fuss.

"Sweet! Thanks, Rae." Beast Boy stepped over the threshold, gazing around with a pleasant look on his face. He had won this round.

"Beast Boy…" she murmured. 'What could it possibly be that he wants to show me so badly?' she thought inwardly.

"Can I sit?" he queried, looking at Raven. She rolled her eyes and gestured at the bed. Beast Boy quickly took advantage of the display of hospitality before it was revoked. She gazed at him, waiting for him to make the next move. He patted the bed beside him, and she obeyed.

"OK," Beast Boy said, giving a disclaimer to his gift. "You might think this is a little weird, but just stick it out, and hopefully you won't be disappointed.

Raven slowly pulled her hood off. "Just show me."

Beast Boy handed her a sheet of paper. Raven scanned it quickly. She saw he had printed it out earlier. Upon further inspection, she discovered it to be a poem.

"Did you write this?" she inquired. Beast Boy flushed slightly.

"OK, no. I didn't. Do you really think I could write a poem? But I _did_ find it online, and I thought you might enjoy it."

Raven looked sideways at him. He was smiling as he gazed at the dark girl. He didn't seem perturbed (much) but her doubt. In fact, he seemed hopeful. Raven felt something slip inside her. It felt as if she had been grasping onto preconceived opinions of Beast Boy's actions, and all of a sudden, they just slid from her clutches. It was unnerving to her, and Raven didn't like the feeling.

She turned away from her teammate and began to read the poem:

_**I'm going to draw a picture**_

_**A picture with a twist**_

_**I'll draw it with a razor blade**_

_**I'll draw it on my wrist**_

_**And as I draw the picture**_

_**A fountain will appear**_

_**And as the fountain's flowing**_

_**All my troubles disappear…**_

Raven reread the poem, absorbing the words. Despite the poem's dark tone, she smiled. "So you went online and found this? Who wrote it?"

"Actually, I'm not sure," Beast Boy admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "I couldn't find a definitive author."

"Beast Boy, I really appreciate this gesture," Raven said quietly. "You really put a lot of effort into finding something you thought I'd enjoy."

"_Did_ you enjoy it?" he asked, apprehension in his voice.

"You know what? I did," laughed Raven under her breath. Beast Boy sighed with relief. 'You didn't enjoy the poem as much as you enjoyed the attention,' a nasty little voice in her head quipped. Raven was surprised by it, but did not show it outwardly.

Beast Boy hoisted himself off the bed. He began to walk along the bookshelves, staring up at the numerous titles above his head. "Mind if I borrow one?" he asked good-naturedly. Raven blinked at him.

"You know how to read?" she asked.

Beast Boy gave her a dirty look over his shoulder, but she wasn't paying attention. She had pushed herself off the bed to stand next to Beast Boy. "Anything in particular that you're looking for?"

"I don't know. Some light bedtime reading?" Beast Boy laughed. "I have no clue."

Beast Boy scanned the names quickly, nothing leaping out at him. Most seemed to be written in another language, and they were all very old. Then dusty tomes, which could keep Raven occupied for hours, failed to grab Beast Boy's attention. He decided it was probably because he couldn't translate the words.

The green Titan was struck again at what a private and intimate moment this was. He doubted anyone else on the team had been in Raven's room, browsing through her books. Her books were so personal to her, she hardly let anyone dig through them, and here he was, allowed to choose one.

But he simply _couldn't_ resist having a bit of fun. He noticed a few books were lying on peculiar angles on top of the heavy, leather-bound novels. He picked one up. As he read the title, he felt a grin spread over his features.

"What's this, Raven?" teased Beast Boy. "I didn't know you were into those kinds of books."

"What are you- _give that back!_" cried Raven shrilly. She zapped Beast Boy with her dark energy, and although it hurt, he still held on tightly to the book in his hands.

Beast Boy's laugh was a little strained, but he began to read the back cover of the book out loud.

"_Emily Vance is trapped in a loveless marriage. Her husband, Ralph, while enormously rich, fails to give her the love she so desperately craves. She feels lost and depressed_."

"If you don't give that back-" yelled Raven, but Beast Boy paid no heed.

"_But all of this changes when the new blacksmith moves in. His name is James Parkinson, and he is exactly what Ralph isn't_."

"Beast Boy-"

"_What starts as an innocent friendship turns into something so much more. Fueled by lust and a hunger to love and be loved, Emily and James begin a racy affair, which soon spirals drastically out of the lovers' control_-"

"Stop! That's enough! You've had your fun, stop making-"

"_They find themselves in a tangled web of lies, alibis, and spies. Emily is terrified for her reputation, for James', and even their own safety. She knows she should break it off with the dashing carpenter-_"

"I'm warning you for the last-"

"_But she has finally found all that she had ever wanted. She and James continue to dodge suspicious friends and family, but all the while, Emily becomes aware that Ralph might suspect…_" Beast Boy laughed outright. "Raven! I would never have guessed!"

He turned to her, but winced as soon as he had. She was seething with anger, her eyes burning and her fists balled up, her entire body surrounded by large amounts of black energy. She stood, her feet planted firmly, and her mouth in a taut line. She took a steadying breath before speaking.

"You… will give that back… now," she hissed, trying desperately to control her temper. She tried chanting in her head, but found that even meditation escaped her. Beast Boy now looked frightened.

"Hey, Rae, I was only kidding! I-"

"For the last time, my name is Raven! I don't like 'Rae,' I don't like any nicknames! Call me Raven!" she shouted.

Beast Boy held up his hands, as if to protect himself from the coming onslaught. The book in question still remained clutched in his hand. "OK, OK… Raven. I'm sorry. I was only joking."

Raven's dark aura slowly faded, her face never leaving the green Titan in front of her. "Whatever. Just give it back." She held out her own hand.

Beast Boy felt a strange wave of confidence wash over him. He had already pushed Raven to the edge and survived; what was to say a little more would kill him? He leaned forward, extending the book towards Raven. Her fingers began to close around it-

Until all of a sudden, Beast Boy wrenched it backwards. He clasped the book like a football under his arm and ducked under Raven's arm before she had time to register what was happening. He sped off down the hall, cackling madly.

Raven blinked, stupefied. Then-

"_Beast Boy_!"

---

"Come, my minions!" cried Slade passionately. "You must escape from your prisons! Now is the time to be free! Rise! Rise!"

The crocodile blinked one eye lazily at the masked villain, then went back to sleep.

Slade snorted with impatience, muttered something about the lack of enthusiasm for the resistance, then moved on. He continued to walk through the zoo, attempting to rally various animals to his cause. For some reason, the animals didn't seem as fervent about the rebellion as he was. The giraffes had merely continued to scratch their necks against the trees, paying him no heed. The chimpanzees had given him curious stares as he had been waving his arms fanatically over his head, but apparently his movements didn't mean the same thing to them as they did to him. They had begun dancing and howling madly, and Slade had had to dash away before he was pelted with mess found on the bottom of the display.

Slade growled under his breath. The lions hadn't even woken up! The red pandas had scampered up higher into the trees, fearful at Slade's shouting. Slade gnashed his teeth under his mask. The elephants, prime targets for recruiting, had simply continued eating as Slade told them his proposition! This was absolutely insulting! Sulking, Slade entered the reptile house with a scowl on his face, although it was undetectable because of his mask.

Sighing, Slade leaned against the small containers with various lizards. He tapped the glass lazily, but got no response from the creatures basking in the fake sun.

Slade wrinkled his nose in disgust (which, again, went unnoticed) and moved on to the chameleon exhibit. He spent a good twenty minutes searching for the elusive beasts, with hopes that they might be easier to convince of his truth, but he couldn't locate them and eventually gave up.

The villain pounded his fist into his other palm. He stopped miserably in front of the snake exhibit where a few small children were banging on the glass loudly. The animal did not even stir. The children soon lost interest, and moved on. Slade moved to the front of the glass. The snake seemed to sense his presence, and woke up. It raised its head so that it could look directly at Slade.

_It winked_.

Slade raised an eyebrow. The snake cocked its head at the man. Slade pointed a finger at his own chest, asking the snake if it meant him. The snake nodded eagerly.

"Are you… are you hitting on me?" Slade asked in a quiet voice. The snake rolled its beady eyes and shook its head. Slade sighed in relief.

"Good. 'Cause, you know, that would just be _weird_."

The snake just gaped at him.

"So you live here," Slade continued conversationally. If he wanted to convert this creature, he would have to win its favor. The snake gave a defeated look and nodded ruefully. "Do you like it here?"

The snake wrinkled its flat nose in displeasure. Slade tried to make his one visible eye look remorseful. "I'm sorry," he said with as much sincerity he could muster. 'I _must_ rally him to the cause!' thought Slade bravely.

"Well, where would you like to live?" queried the villain. The snake jabbed its tail at the small sign next to its cage. A little sign bore the words, "Boa Constrictor, Brazil."

"Ah, Brazil!" Slade said fondly. "I had some wonderful illegal dealings there in the past." He chuckled, reminiscing. "Those were the good old days."

Slade seemed lost in thought. The snake cleared its throat, shaking the man out of his daydream. Slade nodded, clearing his head. "So!" he said, clapping his hands together and rubbing them in what he considered an evil manner. "Would you like to go to Brazil?"

The snake nodded vigorously. Slade's eye grew large with excitement.

"Great! Then you must join me on my quest! We are the resistance! We are not to be suppressed any longer! We have the power! We will take the initiative now, and rise up against our tormentors! Together, we will prevail!"

The snake's eyes shone with the thought of freedom. Personally, he thought this man must be nuts, but if he could spring him from this wretched place, what did he care? Excitedly, he pointed at the glass confining him to his cell. Slade grinned wildly. He then concentrated and stared hard at the window. The two of them waited, each with his full attention on the glass between them. Slowly, it dawned on the snake that this wasn't working.

The creature peered with a scrutinizing gaze at the man outside his tank. It frowned. This, apparently, wasn't who he was looking for. He settled back down for another snooze, feeling defeated, while Slade continued to glare daggers at the glass, with no result.

---

Robin leaned back in the chair, thinking. He was seated in the main room, grumbling at the large monitor that sat before him. Thus far, he had been unable to locate _any_ information on Stalwart, and it was really starting to vex him. He knew for a solid fact that he had heard Stalwart's name before, and not just in passing. But he couldn't for the life of him place where exactly he had heard it, or in what context.

He had tried business searches, but came up with nothing. Apparently, the surname Stalwart wasn't that popular. Robin scowled, angered by his lack of information. He didn't want this to be wasted time.

Suddenly and without warning, Beast Boy came hurtling through the room at breakneck speed, laughing and screaming with a mix of exhilaration and dread. He appeared to be clutching something in his hands, but before Robin could get a good look at whatever it was, Beast Boy had already zipped through the door on the right side of the room and ran off again. Seconds later, the door through which Beast Boy had entered was thrown open with such a force, the huge windows rattled. Raven came blasting through listening for the sounds of Beast Boy's shrieks. Once she had located them, she growled a curse word under her breath, and took off after him. Her hands were covered in her power, and she looked mad enough to kill.

Robin didn't even blink.

'They'll work it out,' he concluded, and tried another variation of his search.

'Gotta hide, gotta hide, gotta hide,' Beast Boy thought desperately., although a smug look of glee was still plastered on his face. He knew that if he were caught, he would be in _deep_ trouble.

He turned a corner and staggered. He grew slightly more nervous, knowing that would lose him precious seconds.

How right he was. Beast Boy felt a hand clutch the front of his uniform. It was so tight, he gasped slightly at the lack of air. A body slammed into him, throwing him against the wall. Beast Boy closed his eyes on impact. Slowly, very slowly, he cracked an eye open to see Raven glaring at him with such a hatred, he wasn't sure if he would make it out of this alive.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed. "Do you enjoy being an annoying, immature pinhead? Do you think this is funny? Do you enjoy aggravating me? Do you really think that people find teasing funny? Do you-" she stopped. She glared at him, but was instead looking at the top of his head. Beast Boy only stood, nonplussed. Raven felt a faint blush tinge her cheeks. "You grew." she stated. Beast Boy then noticed it as well. The two Titans were now exactly the same height. Soon, Beast Boy would surpass Raven, and she would become the shortest member of the team.

"Hey!" he said, with mock cheeriness. "I'm finally having my overdue growth spurt."

"I guess so," Raven murmured, still perturbed. When had that happened? She then shook her head furiously. "No! You're not getting off this easily! Beast Boy, why do you do these sorts of things? They're annoying and nobody appreciates the 'humor' in them."

"Yeah, well," Beast Boy shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess it's just how I am. I mean, that's me, right?" he said, grinning. Raven narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well… you might want to look into _not_ being so immature. That would be really appreciated."

"Yeah, yeah, OK…" muttered Beast Boy, trailing off. He looked down at the floor in what he hoped was a submissive manner. Raven still kept her eyes on his face, studying him.

"I'm not saying we don't like you the way you are, Beast Boy. Obviously, if we didn't, you wouldn't still be here in one piece. You're our friend, and we… like you just the way you are." Raven inwardly gulped. She had almost said "love." She cleared her throat to continue. "We're your friends, and we want you to be happy and enjoy life. Just not at the expense of others."

Beast Boy nodded, his eyes still downcast. Now Raven was starting to feel slightly guilty. 'No!' she inwardly berated herself. 'He's being annoying and it has to stop!'

The green Titan finally looked into the face of his captor, and to her amazement, he was grinning. "So are you going to let me go any time soon?"

"You know," Raven said conversationally. "I don't think I will. I kind of like the thought of you trapped, helpless to cause any more mischief." But as Beast Boy only grinned wider, Raven became very aware of her body. It was still pressed up against Beast Boy's, applying enough pressure to keep him there. Their faces were mere inches apart, and their breaths mingled in front of them. Her hands were still at his throat, which was good, but his were hovering at her waist. The book was still grasped in his left hand. Raven knew if anyone who didn't know them were to happen along this scene, they would consider it a very intimate act.

"So you're enjoying this then, huh?" taunted Beast Boy. Raven spluttered indignantly. Beast Boy only laughed.

Raven broke away fiercely. Beast Boy massaged his neck where it had been assaulted, but didn't stop chuckling. "This is what I'm talking about!" Raven cried, very aware of the fact that her face was on fire. "Why do you say stuff like that?"

Beast Boy could only keep laughing. Finally he managed to choke out, "For the look on your face! You're too easy to tease, Raven."

She sneered at him. She grabbed the book from his hand, and this time, he let her have it. Raven turned heel and stormed back towards her room. Beast Boy had to hold onto his sides, he was still laughing so hard. As she turned the corner and disappeared out of sight, Beast Boy allowed himself to slide down the wall to collapse in a heap, his laughter fading. His entire body was still tingling from where Raven had touched him, and it had nothing to do with pain.

---

"Yes!" cried Robin excitedly. "I've got you now!"

He clicked on a link he'd finally discovered. It was an article that had appeared in a newspaper about five years ago. Its heading was, "Stalwart Sentenced for Lifetime in Jail."

Robin opened the new page and quickly read through the article, but he was immediately disappointed. Apparently, the Stalwart in question was a man named Stephen. It seemed that Stephen Stalwart had committed a dangerous crime, but the article failed to give specific enough details on this crime. It did, however, give the man's age, and it said he was forty-seven when he had committed the crime. There was no possible way that their Stalwart was forty-seven. Besides, the article seemed to suggest that it had taken two years to finish Stephen Stalwart's trial, and the date on the article was five years old. That would make Stephen Stalwart fifty-four.

'Drat,' Robin thought inwardly. Still, this might explain where he had heard the name before. He must have read this article, or a similar one, during the actual time of the trial. It would make sense. But what Robin couldn't understand was why this particular name had caught his interest way back when he'd read it. He had no clue, from the information provided in the article, what exactly Stephen Stalwart had done, so it couldn't have been something outrageous. Robin sighed. This was a lot harder than he thought.

The Boy Wonder heard the main door hiss open behind him. "Great!" he said, without turning around. "Come check this out! I think I may have got something about Stalwart!"

Robin had expected to see Cyborg leaning over for a closer look at the screen, but instead, it was Starfire. He gulped. He hadn't expected to talk to her so soon. He still had no idea what to say.

Her hair brushed against Robin's face as she leaned over farther to read the article. Robin closed his eyes, taking in the smell of her hair. It was a sweet, serene scent, which he found very calming. Starfire reached over to scroll down on the page. Robin caught her hand and kissed her fingertips, glancing up at her. She smiled down at him.

"Did I hear you found some- Uh… I can come back." Now it really was Cyborg behind them.

"Yeah, come check this out," Robin said, standing up. Cyborg walked over, and Robin and Starfire moved out of the way. Robin slid his hand onto Starfire's thin waist as they scooted back. She leaned forward to peck him on the cheek.

"OK! OK!" Cyborg huffed. Starfire giggled.

Cyborg turned around to face his teammates. "Well, it's a guy named Stalwart, but not our man."

"Is it possible that the man Michael Stalwart changed his name from Stephen?" questioned Starfire.

"It's always a possibility," Robin stated, scratching his chin. "But there's the problem with his age. This guy is way older than ours."

"It could just be he's a young-looking guy," Cyborg countered. "Or he has a really good plastic surgeon."

Starfire frowned. "He did not appear to be made of plastic when we visited him."

"I'll explain better later," said Robin. He sighed. "I think we can safely assume that Michael Stalwart and Stephen Stalwart are not the same guy."

"I think you're right," Cyborg agreed. "That's aggravating. Finally something of a lead, and it's a dead end."

"Could they be related?" asked Starfire.

Robin nodded slowly. "That's possible. The only problem is, how would we find that out? His family could easily be protected by a bunch of laws we'd have to go through."

"And guys, I still think Stalwart isn't trustworthy, but the machine did check out," added Cyborg. "I know that it can be used as a medical device. I'm almost positive that it'll actually work!"

"I still have a bad feeling about this all," Starfire spoke softly. Her teammates nodded. She slowly took to the air to return to what she had been doing before Robin called out, but felt a hand on her arm stop her.

"Wait, Star," Robin said. "I want to ask you something." Starfire landed obediently in front of her lover. Robin stared at the ground. 'Crap,' he thought to himself. 'How the heck do I say this?'

Cyborg still stood, watching them with interest. Robin sighed.

"Wannagoonadatewithme?" he said in a rush. Starfire cocked her head at him.

"I'm sorry Robin, I did not understand what you said," she smiled apologetically. "Could you say it again?"

Robin nodded. He felt his palms grow sweaty inside his gloves. It had been hard enough the first time, and now he had to say it again!

"Youwannagooutwithmesometime?" he tried again. Starfire looked truly sorry as she stared at him.

"Ooh! Ooh! I can get that to come out right!" Cyborg yelled earnestly. He extended a few wires from his arm, and began struggling with a microphone. He tapped into a radio station and beamed the signal into a small outlet on his forearm. He was now broadcasting live. He held the tangled microphone wire over his head, trying to get it right, his tongue sticking out slightly.

"This is a little hard for me to say, Star," Robin apologized. Starfire shook her head.

"No! Do not worry about it. Whenever you can say it, that is fine." Robin smiled at her. She beamed back.

"Almost… got it," puffed Cyborg. He flipped the on switch, connecting himself to the radio station back in the city, just as Robin opened his mouth to speak.

"Starfire… do you want to go out on a date tomorrow night?" Robin asked, grinning. He then started as he heard himself echo from Cyborg's arm. He whirled around. Cyborg was staring at the microphone with a horrified expression on his face.

"Was that… was that live!" demanded Robin furiously. Cyborg nodded mutely. Robin slapped a hand to his forehead, groaning. Cyborg quickly flipped the switch off. "Now we're going to be fighting the media all night!" he moaned. He then grew bright red. "I mean, that is-"

"I would love to go!" Starfire answered, grabbing hold of Robin's hand. "I am truly looking forward to it, even if we must dodge the newspapers and TV people all night!"

All over Jump City, people were gawking at their radios. How they had just tapped into frequencies coming from Titans Tower was a mystery to them, but they were positive it was the Titans. It seemed that Robin was asking Starfire on a date, and this was big news to them. After the shock wore off, everyone jumped on the telephone, calling their friends to hear if they'd heard it too and spread wild rumors about what they "knew" about the Titans. The phones at the radio station that Cyborg had commandeered were ringing off the hook, and the boss shouted at his employees, "I don't care how you do it, but do that again!" Immediately, everyone working the controls began hitting random buttons, madly attempting to hack in again.

"Thanks, Star," Robin said, squeezing her hand. "I'll make sure we have a good time, even if I have to hit a couple of them over the head to get away. Starfire giggled again.

"Wait!" Cyborg hollered, waving his hands over his head. "Time out! Does this mean I'm going to be stuck here tomorrow night with Raven and BB? They're going to be running circles around each other all night without you two here!" Robin nodded, chuckling. He and Starfire headed out the main door to watch a movie in Robin's room, and Cyborg was left standing there.

"Aw, _maaan_!"

-----

Author's Notes: OK, these are the review replies… on Atkins! I'm a little pressed for time and I want this chapter up NOW, so I'm kind of being a little stingy on the replies. Please take note that I would really **love** to write back fully, even write back novels, telling each and every one of you how appreciative I am that you take the time to review, but I sadly cannot. If there is something you want fully explained, or just something you want a quick reply to, or whatever, feel absolutely free to e-mail me. I love getting e-mails, and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can! (But don't hate me if it takes a while… I sometimes get swamped, and forget to reply. It can take me a little while sometimes, but I always do in the end though!)

I bet nobody even remembers what they reviewed anymore. _hits self on head_ I will **_NEVER_** take this long again, I swear!

scathac's warrior- Thanks for reviewing! I was actually considering having Beast Boy write a poem, but I decided it would be too out of character. And you were right, Raven's poem is about Beast Boy… not that she'd ever admit it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

AnimeKittyCafe- Thank you for reading! Ooh, I'm so sorry this is so late! My bad! Ergh, I still haven't seen the episode of "Robot Chicken." I still want to, though! Yeah, BB/R is totally awesome. I can't say it's my favorite ('cause I hate picking favorites) but… . Anyway, I hope this chapter was to your enjoyment!

kimnronever- Thank you for your comments! I'm afraid you're going to have to wait to see if Raven and Beast Boy get together… stay tuned! Also, glad you enjoyed the Slade moment! Hehe, sorry about the length of time between updates, I hope you enjoyed it!

Change-Of-Heart2- Thanks for reviewing! Hehe, my dog is also a squirrel hunter… better not let her get to Foamy! Hehe, I used to pride myself in my poetry, but then I started reading other people's more, and felt mine paled in comparison. I still like writing it, but I don't think it's anything exceptional. Oh well, it served its purpose! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

TtitansFan- Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you found the last chapter so funny! And yes, the tin hat was from "Signs." I'm really sorry this chapter took so long! I hope you enjoyed it, even though there was a wait!

ScarletAngel68- Hey you! Sweet! I own your heart! That makes me happy! Hehe, I find that rivalry often beings couples closer together cough Ron and Hermione cough. I'm glad you enjoyed Slade last chapter, and I hope you don't mind I took something you said into a Slade idea! I thought it was too good to pass up! Haha, as for my love life, it's nonexistent now. But oh well. School will probably spark something. (For the past three years, I've two boyfriends a year… weird. O.o) Haha, and clones of Starfire? That explains everything. _nods knowingly_

swisscheese- Thank you for reading! I'm happy to hear you liked the Slade bits! I'm also glad that you're enjoying the little couple-moments. I try to make them seem realistic, and I am always happy to hear that someone likes them! Anyway, I hope you found this chapter enjoyable!

RainSprite03- Thanks for you comments! Haha, Cyborg is convinced that Foamy can read minds… or maybe he's just crazy! Anyway, I hope you liked the latest chapter!

Ryuu no Taiyo- Thank you for reviewing! I'm so sorry that it took so long to get this chapter out! The next one won't take as long, I swear. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

KrazywithaK- Thank you for reading! I'm glad you've enjoyed the story thus far! Also, thank you! I don't love my poetry, but I'm happy to hear you were able to enjoy it! Hopefully you liked this chapter! By the way, love the carnival idea!

The Angel of Anarchy- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the BB/R! Expect quite a bit more to come! And hey, being nuts isn't a bad thing! Haha, I can't believe I was so out of the loop with Foamy. D'oh! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

Lizard Lad- Thanks for reading! I'm glad you find it so funny, and I hope you found the latest chapter just as amusing!

dramaelfie- Thanks for your comments! I'm happy to hear you've been finding the story so funny! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Jackdaw- Thanks for reviewing! I'm sorry this took so long to post, I hope it was at least somewhat worth the wait!

dancingirl3- Thank you for reading! I'm really sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! I feel really bad about making everybody wait so long. I hope you liked the latest chapter!

Ami-chan-friend-of-M.E.Pal- Thank you for your comments! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter so much! Hehe, well, I don't know exactly what I'd imagine Robin and Starfire were up to, but they're still only teenagers, and ones with large reputations to uphold, so they're not going to do anything stupid. But they can still have a bit of fun, huh? Haha, I hope this latest chapter was up to par!

Estel-Elf-Lover- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoy the story, and I hope you liked this chapter as well!

Raven Sugara the Tenken- Thank you for reading! I'm happy to hear you've enjoyed the story thus far! I hope you keep reading, and like this chapter!

Little Dark Bird- Thank you for commenting! I'm glad you found my story worthy of your rare reviews! I'm happy that you're enjoying the story. Ergh, sorry it took me so long to update! I can't believe I got so out of it and lazy. I love hearing from people who don't often review, it makes me feel special. Thank you! Hehe, I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

heX- Thank you for reading! I'm really glad you enjoyed the previous chapter so much! And thank you for pointing out my lack of dividers. I had them in the original version, but f f . net deleted all of them as I tried to update, and I only remembered to throw in the beginning and end lines. My bad! But at least now, I won't forget them again. Yeah, I know there are some spelling/grammar errors back there. (Probably here too.) I used to have an editor, but… well, as of right now, we're not speaking. I know we'll fix it up, but she isn't always willing to edit my stuff even when we are talking. I think someday I'll go back and edit each chapter, after I've forgotten what I wrote and I'll be able to catch mistakes easier, but right now, I just want to get the new chapters up… that's even been a struggle! _bashes head on keyboard_ Hmm, action-y… well, there's definitely more to come with Stalwart, but I will give a slight spoiler: Chapter 15 is going to have quite a bit of action! Hehe, your long was most appreciated, so I try to give back with a long review reply! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

TameranianRaven- Thanks for your comments! I'm happy to hear you're finding this story amusing! I hope you keep reading, and I hope you liked the latest chapter!

warprince2000- Thank you for reading! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far, and I hope you liked this chapter!

Myu-Ichigo- Thanks for reviewing! I'm happy to hear you've been enjoying the story thus far. I always love hearing that people enjoy the BB/R moments! And ooh, I wish I had thought of having Slade read a poem! Ah well! Anyway, I'm so flattered that you felt like this was a worthy read. I hope this chapter was up to par!

BellaRose- Thanks for commenting! I'm glad you enjoyed the BB/R of the previous chapter! I love writing their moments, it's so fun. And of course I'd love to read your story! I've been so bad with keeping up with stories, though, so I'm sorry about that. But I'd love to read your story! Feel free to send me a link at any time! (And oh man, if I've already started reading and forgot, so sorry, I'll reread it all!) Anyway, what a great idea for the continuation of "Dark Forest!" I have a lot of other one-shots I want to get up, but I'm totally gonna give it a try! I won't promise any date, 'cause every time I do, I miss it. D'oh! But what a great idea, thank you so much! Also, thank you for the Slade idea! I love it! And to answer your question, I am a girl. I do share this account with a friend of mine who happens to be a boy, but the author of this story (me) is a girl. Hope that clarifies it! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

disappearer/Syani- Thank you for reading! I'm happy that you liked the previous chapter! I know there were problems… _wrinkles nose_ Sorry about them! I hope this chapter was amusing as well!

starrobin4eva- Thank you for your comments! I'm glad you liked the chapter before! Hehe, well, Robin and Starfire were just having a bit of fun… don't worry, nothing _too_ risqué. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter!

anominuous or w/e- Thank you for reviewing! I'm always happy to hear from another BB/R fan! Hehe, and you did figure out how to review! It's always nice to have a new friend! That gives me a grand total of… four! Whoo! I hope you liked this chapter too!

BlueroseS.S- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter, and I hope you found this chapter as amusing!

Green-Husky- Thanks for your comments! (By the way, I love your penname!) Aw, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the poetry! I wasn't thrilled with it, but I'm glad it served my purpose! Anyway, I'm also happy to hear you like Foamy! He loves the attention! Hopefully you liked this chapter too!

SeverineFlower- Thank you for reviewing! I'm happy to hear you find the Slade parts so amusing! I hope you enjoyed the latest one, and the whole chapter, as funny!

LOVE IT- Thanks for reading! Hehe, I love the name! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

mr.rogers- Thank you for commenting! Yes, the review replies are getting _quite_ long. But I still feel that if you guys are so willing to take the time to review, I should take the time to let you know! (But I'm definitely trying to make my replies shorter than before. Chapter 12 was way too long.) Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

WoofBlackHayate- Thanks for reading! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far. Also, an illustration? I'm totally honored and flattered! I'd **love** one! But only if you had the time. If you didn't, I'd completely understand! But if you do find time, definitely let me know and send me the link! (Or the picture by e-mail, however you like.) And yes, I do have an AIM screen name! It's kulwolf37. I'm on often, but I might have an away message up. Just IM me and if I'm there, I'll come back. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Cherri munkey- Thanks for your comments! I'm happy to hear you find the story so amusing! Well, I'm trying to keep the BB/R at a pace that is possible in the series. I don't want them to throw themselves all over each other, because I don't think it's very likely. But hang in there, and you will be rewarded! I hope you liked this chapter!

XxJeterxX- Thank you for reading! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the previous chapter, and I hope you liked this one too!

Cassie- Thank you for reviewing! Ergh, yeah, I messed up with the dividers for the last chapter. I had them, then the site deleted them, then I forgot the put them back in. Sorry about that. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

teenRAVENtitan- Thanks for reading! I'm glad you've been enjoying the story thus far, and I hope this chapter was up to par!

Kayo-the-black-sheep- Thank you for your comments! I'm happy you're enjoying the Slade bits! They're so great to write! And yes, there is a lot more BB/R moments yet to come! Get pumped! Haha, I love Cyborg. He's so… Cyborg. Hopefully you enjoyed the latest chapter!

darkorlighticantchoose- Thank you for reviewing! I'm very flattered that you find my writing so good! Thank you so much! Also, I'm glad you liked the fight scene! That was really difficult to write. And yes, there is totally going to be more! I just have gotten really, really bad… _bangs _head Sorry! But hey, I bet a lot of people would enjoy your poetry if you let them see it. Don't worry about them discovering important stuff; if they do, then they'll keep your secrets, and if they don't notice the stuff, obviously they don't need to know it! Anyway, I hope you found this chapter up to scratch!

soraoathkeeper- Thanks for your comments! Must… obey… puppy eyes! cough a month later, I'm so sorry cough I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

SushiChica- Thank you for reviewing! Don't worry about how long it took to review; look how long it took for me to update! D'oh! I'm really sorry about the long wait. (By the way, I got your e-mail. Expect a reply tomorrow! I read it when you first sent it, but I kept getting distracted. Oy vey! I'm so bad!) I'm glad you're back on the fanfiction scene! Also, congrats on being in the school play! (Way late.) And don't worry about moving up to the high school. What grades run through for your school? Ours used to be K-6, 7-9, then 10-12, but halfway through the year last year, they moved the 9th graders (us) up to the high school. So after my midterms, I had to switch up all my teachers and be thrown in with two hundred new students! Scary! But it was fun, actually. And don't worry, I **love** your Slade idea! It might be coming next chapter, or the chapter after. I'm not quite sure, but keep your eyes peeled for it! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

Draco Blade- Thank you for reading! I'm happy to hear you've been enjoying the story thus far, and I hope you liked this chapter too!

mr.giraffe800- Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! I hope you found this chapter as amusing! (By the way, great name!)

defender- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the R/S moments. People seem to comment on the BB/R more, and it's nice to know the R/S isn't going unnoticed! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!

Lalalalala- Well, I appreciate that you read my story up to Chapter 4, but if there's one thing I'm never changing my views on about this story, it's the couples. They are quite set in stone here. If it's not to your liking, I'm sorry to say you really won't like this story.

Mad Mauser- Thank you for reviewing! I'm happy to hear you're finding Slade so funny! Also, it's always great to hear from another BB/R fan! Also, thank you, 'cause if you could find a way to get me that Robot Chicken episode, I'd totally love it! Thanks a bunch! Hehe, I find this quite ironic. You finally caught up to where my story was after it not having been updated for WAY too long, and then the day you catch up, I update! Whee! Hehe, anyway, this story is definitely not dropped, as you can see. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!

Evening Rain- Thanks for reading! I literally just received your review, so here's that update!

OK! I got that done! Whoo! Just a few things now…

Number one: I have been asked this by many people, so instead of repeating myself fifty times, I'll say it here. Yes, I did write that poetry. I didn't find it online, I wrote it specifically for the chapter. (Although I'm totally flattered people found it good enough to think it would be online!) I'm not thrilled with the poems, but people seemed to enjoy them and they fit my purposes, so I can live with them.

Number two: I would like to formally apologize to everyone for something I said in Chapter 11. In my ending author's notes, I misused the term "retard." I am **so** sorry, everyone. It is used so lightly around my school, I seem to have picked it up. When I reread my story, I was shocked and disturbed that I'd typed that. I realize I could have easily (and probably did) offend someone. So I'd like to formally say I'm sorry. I don't know why I wrote that. I honestly _don't_ use that term, practically. Some people will spew it out constantly, but I've been fairly good about it, but I messed up big time there. And for that, I am sorry.

Number three: I did not write the poem found in this chapter. I don't know who did; I've seen it floating around the Internet, and enjoyed it. If it belongs to someone, I respect their right to all credit. I… just don't know who to credit!

Also, I'd just like to thank everyone who wished me a happy birthday! (So long ago… ugh, I've been so bad!) I really appreciate your kindness. _grins_

And I apologize now for any and all spelling/grammar mistakes in this chapter. I really need an editor… must rope somebody in.

OK, it's 12:10 in the morning here and I'm up past my bed time. I must be the only 15 year old in the country with a bed time. _stalks off, muttering under her breath_


	14. Home Alone

Author's Notes: Well, this chapter would have been up a lot sooner had in not been for this whole "having a life" business. I mean, who needs one of those?

OK, everybody note, there will be TWO Slade moments this chapter. Yes, that's right, TWO. - I hope everyone doesn't mind. I have too many ideas and not enough chapters left to stretch out all the ideas to one per chapter. Anyway, today's first bit came from M.E. Pal, so round of applause! Also, the next one came from two separate people, so credit goes to both SushiChica and BellaRose. Thanks to you both!

Hmm, not much left to say before we begin. See you at the end of the chapter!

-----

Chapter 14: Home Alone

Robin knocked gently on the door to Starfire's room. His mask was gone, but in its place was a pair of very dark sunglasses. He wore a plain pair of jeans and a gray shirt. He wore an open black sweatshirt over that, and left it unzipped. Despite the casualness of his attire, the gray shirt did not hide his sculpted muscles and strong, lean form.

"Star, are you all set?" he called through the metal door. Before, he would not have bothered to dress like a civilian, but because of Cyborg's "mishap" with the radio station, he knew he would need to blend in. He instructed Starfire to do the same.

"Almost!" she yelled back. A few moments later, the door slid open to reveal the smiling alien. Robin blushed crimson. She wore a black bikini that looked like it was a bit small. There were two red hearts down by her hip, and the entire suit left little to the imagination.

"Um…"

"I have changed into an Earth outfit, as you can see. Raven told me to purchase it 'just in case,' and here it comes in handy! I am most pleased to finally wear it!"

"Well Star, I think it's great… but, uh, won't you get cold?"

Starfire looked perplexed. "Robin, I can survive in the icy harshness of space. I think I can stand Earth's cold temperatures."

"Yeah… well… let me just, uh, call Raven… so she can see too," Robin managed to say, and turned, whipping out his communicator. "Raven. Come up to Starfire's room _right now_."

Raven gave an exasperated sigh as she heard Robin's voice come crackling in. She had been enjoying an early dinner. She plunked down her fork, lifting her hood over head. She never got a moment's peace around here. Raven phased through floor and appeared moments later at Starfire's bedroom, where she found Robin looking sheepish and Starfire frowning slightly, wearing a bathing suit.

"C'mon Starfire, we better get you into a better outfit. They might not let you into the restaurant with that on." Starfire allowed Raven to usher her back into her own room. Raven closed the door behind them and swept over to Starfire's closet, where she began to search for an acceptable outfit. Starfire stood still, staring at the closed door with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Did I do something wrong?" she queried. Raven looked up.

"Why do you think that?"

"Robin did not seem pleased at all when I came out. I do not want this date to be ruined by something I do," Starfire murmured. Raven's shoulders slumped. She knew she would have to explain this, but she always hated getting involved.

"See, what you're wearing now is considered only acceptable for beach wear. You can only wear that outfit to go swimming."

Starfire looked puzzled, turning towards Raven. "And why could Robin not have said that? Why was it so difficult for him to say it that he had to summon _you_ to explain?"

"Well…" Raven faltered. She wished she were back in the kitchen, eating peacefully. "My guess is Robin was, uh… very _interested_ in this outfit, but didn't want to say it… he probably didn't know _what _to say… so he wanted me to clarify it to you for him. Coward," she muttered quietly.

Starfire blinked. "Should I simply call it a 'boy thing,' and leave it at that?"

"That would make things easier."

Starfire nodded happily and beamed at Raven as the dark girl extracted a new outfit for her from the closet.

Robin paced back and forth in front of Starfire's door. He tried to push the thought of Starfire in a bikini from his mind, but found it very difficult. He could easily imagine her lying on some beach, with pristine water lapping at her toes, smiling at him as… no! He shook his head. He could _not_ dwell on it.

The door slid open and he turned to see Starfire in her new clothes. She wore a pink blouse with swirls of beads in flowing patterns and flowing sleeves. Her skirt was a long black one, with a few pink flowers at the hem. She wore huge black boots which Robin knew must have been Raven's doing.

"You look great," he said, grinning at her. Starfire smiled shyly. She hated to admit it, but she _knew_ she looked great. But it was almost inconceivable to her that Robin would actually compliment her on her appearance; she had dreamed about it for so long, it didn't seem like it could actually happen.

Robin stole a glance over Starfire's shoulder to see Raven skulking behind her. He caught her eye and raised his eyebrows at her, letting her know he approved of her choices. Raven only rolled her eyes, but inwardly, she felt smug. Who knew the daughter of the most terrible demon in existence could have a great fashion sense?

"Well, you two have a nice dinner," muttered Raven. "I am going to try to finish mine without any more interruptions." She phased herself through the floor once again as Robin and Starfire waved her off. The dark Titan reappeared in the kitchen. She strolled over to the table, still feeling good about herself, when she caught sight of her plate. Her food had been completely consumed. She turned around, growling to herself. Raven noticed Beast Boy sitting at the couch, watching a television program. She glared at him. After a minute or two, he became aware he was being watched, and turned.

"Oh, hey Raven," he said pleasantly, then resumed his previous activity. But Raven's eyes continued to burn into the back of his neck, and he swiveled back around. "Can I help you?"

Raven pointed to the empty plate. "Did you eat my dinner?"

"That was yours?"

Raven groaned. "Forget it. I'm going to read in my room. I expect to get no interruptions whatsoever."

Beast Boy saluted her. "Whatever you say."

Raven levitated herself over towards the door, but it slid open before she had a chance to open it. Robin and Starfire were walking out calmly, with Cyborg trailing behind them, talking rapidly. "You're not still mad, are you? Aw, c'mon, you know that was an accident. I only meant to record what you were saying and play it back! How was I supposed to know I have excellent reception?"

Robin rolled his eyes under his sunglasses, but because they were so dark, it went unnoticed. So he said, "Look, whatever. I'm just not looking forward to trying to avoid the paparazzi all night."

"OK, so that will be annoying, but you can't stay mad at me! It was totally an accident!"

"Do not fret, Cyborg," Starfire said cheerfully. "We do not blame you. We will enjoy ourselves, reporters or not." She took Robin's hand. He gave her hand a little squeeze.

Cyborg rolled his one human eye at them, then steered them towards the door. "OK, OK, go have fun on your little 'romantic evening.' We're sick of seeing you guys make puppy eyes at each other anyway."

Robin laughed. Starfire grinned at him as they entered the elevator and he stole a quick kiss on her neck just as the doors were closing. Cyborg grimaced, then turned to Beast Boy chuckling. "Hope they have fun."

"What? Oh, yeah," Beast Boy said distractedly. He felt like there was a lead weight in his stomach, and it had nothing to do with nausea. He hadn't known the salad on the table was Raven's dinner, and he felt guilty for eating it on her. He hoped she wouldn't be too peeved at him.

"So what do you want to do?" Cyborg asked the green Titan. "We have another forty-five minutes before we should eat, so we can do whatever we want."

"I already ate something," mumbled Beast Boy, but Cyborg didn't seem to hear him. The cybernetic teen simply stared at his friend expectantly. Beast Boy propped himself up higher on his elbows. "I don't know. What can we do?"

Cyborg thought for a moment. Then a slow smile spread across his face.

"I have an idea."

---

Pete's Pet Emporium was getting ready to close for the night. There were, however, still plenty of children milling about, cooing and exclaiming over some of the pets in their cages as they passed with their reluctant parents. Pete himself was overseeing the last wave of customers for the day. He watched happily as a woman motioned to one of his employees and pointed into a cage. Her two children squealed delightedly as a parakeet was extracted from the cage by the young boy who worked there. He carried the bird to a large blue cage and placed the animal inside. He rang up the price of the bird and the cage, and the woman handed over the correct amount of bills. Yes, it had been another successful day for Pete. He grinned broadly at the scene below him, observed from the small platform that overlooked the entire store and was the threshold of his office.

But as his eyes roamed the store, he noticed a man, who he'd seen when he first entered his office some four hours ago, was still leaning over the rabbit pen. Pete frowned. Why was it taking this man so long to decide on which one he wanted? This was a bit suspicious. He descended the stairs to his right and made his way over to man. He couldn't see him that well because he was hunched over, but as he strode towards him, Pete could begin to make out what the man was saying.

"…anything you want. Think about it. What do you have to lose? You are trapped in this tiny pen by a master who only wants to make a profit by selling you to the highest bidder. Then you will be purchased by screaming little kids who will cause your heart rate to skyrocket. If you join me, you will be free… and free to strike back! Don't you want revenge on these miserable humans who have imprisoned you?"

"Excuse me!" Pete cried, stepping forward. "Stop trying to get my… my, um… rabbits to rebel." He scratched the back on his neck, feeling extremely foolish. The man had a very persuasive voice, and for a moment, Pete had actually believed the man was telling the truth.

Slade didn't even seem to notice. "Come on! Now's your chance! Escape with me!" He stared at the lethargic rabbits as they munched happily on their carrots. One hopped over towards him, but kind of ran into the fence. It lay down and fell asleep. Slade's face fell behind his mask. After his unsuccessful recruitment at the zoo, he decided to try to get the animals that were even more oppressed to rally to his cause, but this was also proving to be hopeless.

"Sir! I must ask that you leave at once!" demanded Pete. Slade turned to stare at the man now leering into his masked face. Pete continued to glare daggers at Slade, who merely blinked at him. Slade lifted a hand, and Pete recoiled slightly.

"Tummy poke!" cried Slade, jabbing the manager of the store in the stomach with an outstretched finger.

"Oof!" gasped Pete, and he fell backwards onto his rear. Slade turned and ran for the front door, pushing past crowds of confused shoppers.

"Day 12 of recruitment for Operation Menagerie Attack. Though they are kept downtrodden by the vile human in charge of the store, the bunnies show little to no interest in joining my plans for world conquest. This is a major setback, but plans will be revised and the situation reassessed. Over and out," Slade spoke into a small tape recorder he had procured from his pocket.

Slade smashed his way through the doors, which was entirely unnecessary because they were automatic ones. He burst into the street, and did a few rolls towards the middle where a manhole cover lay. He quickly lifted it up and dove in. Slade let the lid rest on his head as he stared back at the store to see if he was being followed. Luckily for him, he wasn't.

'Well,' he thought to himself. 'I guess it's time to head home.' He glanced down, about to clamber down to reach the sewers, but then his eyes lit up. "Wait!" he said out loud. "The night is still young! I can still go out and have fun!" He stayed perched , the manhole cover still balanced precariously on top of his head, when he heard a sound from his right. He turned to see a single headlight heading towards him. He let out a strangled yell and lost his grip. The motorcycle rode right over the cover, shoving it down hard, causing him to fall into the sludge below. "Oh, perfect," he said sarcastically to no one.

Little did he know who exactly had just caused him to fall…

Robin and Starfire continued to race through the streets, Robin steering his R-cycle with expertise. He was smiling slightly. Starfire had arms wrapped tightly around his waist, and although he knew it was unnecessary, he still greatly enjoyed it.

After another five minutes or so, Robin pulled up in front of a restaurant. He pulled off his helmet, and Starfire copied him. She gasped. "Robin, this restaurant is far too expensive! I saw it on the TV when I was watching-"

"Nothing's too expensive for you, Star," Robin said, offering her hand as she got off the motorcycle. She raised an eyebrow in a teasing manner.

"Oh really?" she questioned. Robin pretended to look thoughtful, then nodded. Starfire pecked him on the cheek.

As they entered the building, the two Titans noticed how everyone else was dressed much more extravagantly than they. Robin frowned slightly. He hoped they wouldn't be turned away at the door for their casualness. As they approached the front desk, a stuffy man peered down his nose at the couple.

"Do you have a reservation?" he asked none too kindly.

"Yeah," stated Robin simply. "It's under 'Robin and Starfire.'"

The man gave them an incredulous look. "I assume you mean Robin and Starfire of the Teen Titans?"

Starfire waved at him happily. "That's us," Robin said. The man was not convinced.

"If this is some sort of joke…" he sneered. Starfire's smile faded. She held up a hand and powered up an emerald starbolt. Her eyes glowed bright green. The man started, and backed away a few paces. "Yes, well… had to b-be sure… p-please, right this w-way," he stammered in a shaken voice.

Starfire's smiled shot back into place. Robin smirked, his eyes twinkling unnoticed under his glasses. The man led them to a cozy corner of the restaurant a little ways away from the rest of the people there. The man handed them their menus, then scurried off.

Robin guided Starfire into her seat, then pulled out his own chair. He sat down and peered at his menu. But because the restaurant wanted to create a romantic atmosphere, the only light in the room was coming from the tiny flickering candle on the table. Starfire was already immersed in her menu. Robin strained his eyes to see what was written on his, but because his glasses were so dark, they were only a hindrance.

'Crap.'

---

Raven chanted her mantra to herself. Her breathing was easy and relaxed. She was completely at peace, even despite the rumbling in her stomach.

She could have easily fixed herself more dinner, but at the moment, she just didn't want to be in the same room as Beast Boy. She was slightly unsettled by his presence at the moment. She just didn't understand it. His comments the previous day… _why_ did he have to flirt with her? He obviously didn't mean it, and it just complicated everything.

She furrowed her brow. She was not going to dwell on it. She allowed tranquility to sweep over her once more, like a gentle wave passing over her. She felt as if the entire world was at peace at that moment. She saw flashes of memory flow through her brain, and she allowed them to come. Raven saw herself relaxing with her friends, she saw herself meditating on the roof, her favorite place, and she saw herself reading quietly on the sofa. Images of her friends floated to the surface of her mind, and she saw them all as if they were standing right in front of her… Robin… Starfire… Cyborg… Beast Boy…

Beast Boy. He had eaten her dinner. That boy would take anything he could get his grubby little paws on. He had absolutely no respect for people's personal property; he'd made that clear on countless occasions. Why couldn't he just leave things alone?

A nasty little voice answered her. 'Because that's not who he is. Beast Boy wouldn't be Beast Boy if he didn't butt into everyone's business and go snooping through all their stuff.' Raven frowned. There was something very familiar about that voice… with an unpleasant dropping in her stomach, she realized the voice was her own.

Raven sighed as she allowed herself to fall lightly onto her bed. Meditating was hopeless now. Beast Boy had completely infiltrated her mind, and she'd lost all concentration. The fact that he could render her powerless to meditate bothered the dark girl, and she reached under her nightstand to grab the black book that lay beneath it. She opened it to a certain page. Raven extracted the green feather she'd pressed between the pages, and twiddled it idly in her fingers, a bemused expression on her face.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash from outside Raven's bedroom. She sat bolt right up, her ears pricked. What in the world…?

But as she slid the door open, Raven could clearly see the cause of the noise. Cyborg and Beast Boy were tossing a football around, but Cyborg had altered the ball. It seemed to be much heavier than usual, and it had small, protruding spikes. Cyborg tossed it to the green gorilla, which was going long for a pass.

"What are you doing?" demanded Raven. "You're gonna destroy the Tower with that thing!"

"This is extreme football," Cyborg said proudly, as Beast Boy wrapped his massive arms around the ball, hugging it to his body. The momentum caused him to go crashing to the floor at the other end of the hallway. "We made it up ourselves. The original ball was a bit too… tame for what we had in mind."

Raven put a hand to her temple, trying to massage away the words she'd just heard. "Cyborg, as much 'fun' as extreme football may be, you're going to get hurt. You can't play with a ball that weighs, like, four hundred pounds." She stared as Beast Boy sauntered over as an elephant, carrying the ball on his back. He let it roll to the floor, and it landed with a sickening crack, leaving a dent where it fell.

"Dude, this game gets better and better every time we play it!" cried Beast Boy with enthusiasm, resuming his human form. Raven gave them dirty looks.

"You've played before?"

Cyborg waved his hand dismissively. "Only a few times. And for the record, the ball doesn't weigh four hundred pounds."

"Whatever. I'm confiscating it," Raven snapped, and she bent down to scoop the football up. It didn't even budge as she struggled with it. She grunted as she gave another tug, but the ball remained stationary. Glaring at the inanimate object and feeling a slight blush climb up her neck as the boys tried to hide their sniggers, she encased the football in her aura. It floated up with ease. She sneered at her teammates, then disappeared into her room with the ball.

"Hey!" the two boys yelled in unison, but Raven ignored them. She whipped open her closet and tossed the football in. It knocked something over, and Raven winced. She then slammed the door closed, and whirled around to face the boys.

"You will _not_ be going to get that, understood?" she questioned. The two Titans nodded reverently. "Good. Now, I thought I said earlier that I didn't want to be disturbed. What happened to-"

"WAIT!" bellowed Cyborg. Raven and Beast Boy stared at him. "Listen!" he instructed, and they obeyed. The three of them stood stock still for a few moments.

"What are we-"

"Shh!" Cyborg put a hand to his ear to amplify whatever sound he was hearing. Beast Boy cocked an ear in the direction Cyborg was indicating. He heard a faint scratching noise that sounded like it was coming from-

"The vents!" crowed Cyborg triumphantly. "It's Da Squirrel!"

"Are you sure-"

"Positive!" he said forcefully. Cyborg began charging down the hallway. Beast Boy and Raven exchanged looks, then chased after him. "I've got you now!" he cackled. He stopped short in front of a grate above his head. He lashed out with a miniature grappling hook and yanked the grating right out of the wall.

"Cy, you can't fit!" wheezed Beast Boy, panting. Cyborg paused, looking thoughtful.

"I can't. You can," he decided.

"What? No!" Beast Boy tried to protest, but Cyborg had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and yanked him upwards into the air.

"Chase the little vermin down, and you will get your reward," Cyborg hissed, a mad glint in his eye. Beast Boy blanched.

"What's wrong with you, man?" squeaked the green Titan. Cyborg's eyes only shifted back and forth. "Go, go, go!" he squalled, tossing the boy in his hand into the vents. Beast Boy let out a muffled gasp, but then transformed himself into a cat, chasing after the squirrel.

"Cyborg!" exclaimed Raven.

"C'mon," he said, turning to address Raven. "We gotta go catch up with your lover so we can meet as he comes out the other side." With that, he whirled around to charge after the bumps and yelps echoing from the ducts.

Raven was in hot pursuit. "Excuse me? 'Lover?'"

"Yeah," Cyborg called over his shoulder. "You mean you're _not_ crazy about him?"

"Not at all!" she objected shrilly. Cyborg raised an eyebrow, an act that Raven couldn't see. She had answered way too quickly.

'I'm not. No possible way,' she thought to herself. 'I have absolutely no feelings towards Beast Boy that are different than what I feel towards any of my other friends.'

'Right?'

Raven tripped herself, and went sprawling on the ground. Cyborg was already turning the corner ahead, still running after the scuffle in the vents. Raven swore loudly. She slowly got up, refusing to humor Cyborg when he was caught up in his desire to catch the squirrel. She dusted herself off, then levitated herself after the chaos. She didn't know what to think. Of course she didn't like Beast Boy (in that way), but then came the question of how Cyborg came to that conclusion. Was it in the way she acted? The way she talked? The way she looked at him? Raven felt slightly dizzy. What was wrong with her? This shouldn't bother her in the least. She had told Cyborg off, and he knew better than to press her. Beast Boy had been preoccupied and hadn't heard her. She should be able to simply brush it off.

But she couldn't.

---

Robin could actually feel his palms getting sweaty. This was ridiculous! He should be able to see what he was ordering! 'Well,' he thought grudgingly. 'I guess they don't usually have people wear sunglasses inside, but still!'

Starfire had already decided on a meal. Robin decided to risk it.

"What are you ordering?" he asked in a hushed voice. Everyone else in the restaurant was speaking softly, and he didn't want to be heard over all of them.

Starfire pointed down at the menu. "This. This chicken salad of which they speak."

Robin tried to figure out where her finger was pointing. He might be able to navigate his own menu better if he knew where Starfire's meal was situated, but she removed her finger too quickly for Robin to get his bearings from upside down.

"Have you decided on your meal yet, Robin?" Starfire asked inquisitively. Robin blushed, but it went unnoticed in the dim light.

"Uh, no, not yet. Y'know Star, you might be ordering a lot of food. You can never tell with these places." He slapped himself inwardly. He was making a fool of himself by babbling like an idiot. He had no idea to say on a date. What were they supposed to talk about? They could discuss recent police business, but that was hardly romantic. Robin was worried about how long this dinner might take. What if he couldn't think of anything to say?

Starfire giggled softly. "I have a large appetite tonight, Robin." Her eyes sparkled in the candlelight, and Robin felt a shiver run down his back. Was she… hinting at something? But in an instant, the look was gone, and Starfire looked up and smiled. Robin glanced in the direction of Starfire's distraction, and saw that their waiter had arrived.

"Good evening," he said with a slight accent. "And welcome. May I interest you in any appetizers?"

The Titans' eyes met. They shook their heads simultaneously. "No thanks," answered Robin.

"Very well. I am now supposed to offer you something from our wide selection of wines, but as you are underage, this would not be ethical. Also, it might give the heroes of our city a bad name." He smiled down at them. "So you are to skip right to dinner?"

"Oh, yes!" Starfire said happily. She lifted up her menu and pointed out her choice. The man leaned over. "I shall have this salad, please."

"Of course, miss," the waiter said, straightening up and scribbling something on the pad of paper he carried with him. "And you, sir?"

Robin gulped. He had no clue what he was ordering, but he pointed down at the menu, his finger atop a random selection. "I'll have this, thanks."

"Excellent choice," the waiter replied, glancing at the menu and jotting down the meal under Robin's finger. Robin really hoped the man was right.

As he left, Starfire turned to Robin, gazing at him. He smiled at her from behind his sunglasses. Starfire felt a pang of longing. His eyes were right there. Right behind those little black squares. It was no longer an opaque white mask, devoid of any emotion. That night, his eyes felt that much closer to the surface - and what she wouldn't give just to see them.

They began to chat, and really got into it. It felt completely natural to the both of them. Obviously, they had to communicate with each other all the time; such was the fate of roommates. But this was different. This wasn't out of necessity or boredom. This was because they both wanted to be here, talking to one another and enjoying each other's company. Even their brief silences were not too troublesome; they were relaxed and tranquil. Robin always enjoyed that. He was eternally grateful that Starfire knew the joys of silence. True, she did like to talk, but she knew _when_ to and when _not_ to. Also, he couldn't get over the fact that she looked absolutely amazing the clothes she now sported. Pink and black really worked for her. He was definitely impressed, and more than a little intrigued.

Starfire laughed cheerfully at something Robin said. She rather liked this whole 'date' thing. Dates weren't really a big thing on her home planet; she had obviously been in an arranged marriage, which pretty much destroyed all point to dating. Any sort of courtship was traditionally part of lower class marriages. But now she was on Earth, and intended to stay for a very long while. 'Possibly,' she thought with a little start. 'Possibly… the rest of my life.'

There was a thought. But could she do it? Could she honestly never live on Tameran again? Would she be able to completely adjust to Earth life?

Robin reached across the table, taking her hand. She looked up and smiled bashfully at him. He allowed a slow smile to spread across his features.

Oh yeah. She could get used to this.

---

Beast Boy continued to race through the tunnel as he chased after the squirrel. In any normal cat-vs.-rodent fight, he would have won, hands down. But this squirrel was _vicious_.

He let out a loud "Mrow!" as the squirrel swiped a tiny paw across his face, scratching his cheeks. He closed his eyes to protect them from harm, but in doing so, he didn't notice his quarry turn a corner and dash out of sight. Beast Boy continued to plow forward, and crashed through a grate right onto the floor. He bounced once, then landed in a heap at Cyborg's feet, who had kept up with the chase.

"You're letting him get away!" shrieked Cyborg, then tore off down the hall where the squirrel still ran through the ducts. Beast Boy got up slowly, shaking himself to try to stop his head from spinning. He changed back into his regular form, and began nursing the small cuts on his face, which still stung.

Suddenly, he couldn't see anything. He yelped, but a harsh voice above commanded, "Don't move." The green Titan realized that Raven had covered his face with her hand. She concentrated, and a white glow surrounded her hand. Beast Boy felt the sharp sting of his cuts fade as Raven healed him. She removed her hand.

"Wow, thanks Rae!" Beast Boy said happily. But Raven only breezed by him into the main room. Slightly hurt, Beast Boy followed.

Raven entered the kitchen area. She opened a cabinet and grabbed a glass. She filled it up with water from the sink and took a long, refreshing sip. To her displeasure, Beast Boy sidled up to her. He didn't say anything; he didn't even look at her. For some reason, that annoyed her even more.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, each refusing to look at the other. Raven sipped daintily on her drink while Beast Boy drummed his fingers on the counter. Raven gripped the glass a little bit harder, and Beast Boy began chewing on his lip. Raven bit down on the rim of the cup, and Beast Boy clenched his hands onto the edge of the counter.

"Why are you mad at me!" he finally burst. Raven hid a smirk, glad she wasn't the first to crack.

"Well, let's see. You're annoying. You get on my nerves. You butt into people's business uninvited." Beast Boy began to splutter, trying to say he hadn't done any of these things recently, but Raven pressed on. "You stole my book yesterday after I generously offered to _lend_ you one. You always make comments that just don't help matters, and it's confusing. And on top of all that, you ate my dinner."

Beast Boy stared at her. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to wipe the smug look off her face. "You're that mad about it? Look, I'm sorry, but I didn't know it was _yours_! If you really want your food that much, take it!"

He threw open the refrigerator and whipped out a plate of mashed potatoes. He then turned and launched the plate at Raven.

It hit its mark.

Raven stared at the green Titan, dripping with the potatoes. He sneered at her, but it soon began to dawn on him what he'd just done. He had crossed a line. A very dangerous line.

"Did you just…?" Raven said faintly. Her brain could not even process what had happened. She wanted to knead her knuckles into her skull to try to get her mind processing. She wanted to retreat to her room again and try to meditate this all away. But more than anything, she wanted revenge.

"Look, Raven… I'm so sorry… I got completely carried away…" Beast Boy tried to explain, but he had no idea what to say. He held up his hands, as if that might protect him. He didn't notice Raven using her powers to open the refrigerator door and summon out a pie. She balanced it a few feet above his head.

"Look up," she commanded.

"What?"

"Look up," she repeated. Beast Boy, though completely nonplussed, obeyed. He decided he didn't want to press his luck. Just as his eyes fixated on the pastry above him, Raven released it. It landed with a splat, directly onto Beast Boy's face.

Raven suppressed a giggle as Beast Boy shook himself like a dog, trying to rid himself of the pie. "You just hit me back," he stated.

Raven shrugged. "Call us even."

Beast Boy lunged and grabbed the large bowl of salad that Raven had extracted her dinner from earlier. "I don't think we're quite even yet."

Raven had no clue why she allowed herself to become wrapped up in the ridiculous food fight. It was something she normally would never have done. It was completely out of character for her, and she knew it. But there was something inside her that told her that a good scuffle would ease her mind. She obeyed that feeling.

Raven hurled a few slices of bread at Beast Boy, but it didn't really seem to help much. She dodged his spray of cooking oil (she wasn't entirely sure that was legal, but she let it go) and squirted whipped cream at him, splattering it on his face and chest. He laughed. She continued to go after him as he edged closer and closer to the open refrigerator. With a nervous laugh, Raven noticed she was out of ammo. And Beast Boy had the worst weapon of all.

She scrambled to get away, but she wasn't fast enough. Beast Boy grabbed onto her arm. Raven tried to swing him away, but he merely clutched her other arm and held on tightly. She struggled, but the Titan was surprisingly strong. He pressed himself up against her back and held her immobile.

"Don't!" she gasped, panting.

"You got me with that blue fuzzy stuff!"

"I did not! It attacked on its own."

"Sorry Raven," Beast Boy lamented. "You're gonna get what's coming to you." And, with slight difficulty, he pulled back her cloak and the neck of her uniform. He held his weapon aloft, and a flicker of fear floated across Raven's face. He held a raw egg.

Beast Boy grinned maliciously. He was savoring his victory. Then he smashed the egg right on the nape of Raven's neck, and chuckled as the yolk dripped painfully slow down her neck. She shuddered in his grip in reaction to the slimy cold feeling searing down her neck, and Beast Boy felt a burning in the pit of his stomach that had nothing to do with nausea or guilt. He felt his breath catch slightly in his throat. Even though it really had nothing to do with him, it sent a shiver of pleasure through his body knowing that he'd felt a girl tremble in his arms.

Beast Boy slowly let go, still feeling slightly tense. He tried to calm his breathing. "That," Raven said in a strained voice. "That… was not fair."

Beast Boy let out a soft laugh. "Yeah, well… I do like winning."

Raven rolled her eyes, but because she was still sitting in front Beast Boy, he didn't see. "Oh yeah. You really won," she said sarcastically. She stood up, wiping the slick yolk from the back of her neck. "So nasty." She continued to rub the egg remains from the nape of her neck as Beast Boy got up and tried to remove the bits of food that had gotten stuck in his hair. "That was fun," she murmured quietly, having given up on the yolk, which was almost gone anyway.

The green Titan stopped trying to rid himself of the food. "Yeah, it was," he agreed quietly.

Suddenly, Raven whirled on him. "You tell no one… _no one_ about this," she said dangerously. Beast Boy nodded feverishly.

But with a loud crash, Cyborg entered the room, the squirrel scrabbling around on his face and shoulders, squeaking agitatedly. "Back up!" Cyborg screamed. "I need back up!"

But the squirrel decided he didn't want to stick around for Cyborg to call in the cavalry. With a final "Chit!" it leapt from Cyborg's face and pelted down the hall. Cyborg began to give chase, then spun around.

"Why are you two covered in food?" Beast Boy and Raven exchanged uneasy glances, trying to think of some excuse, but Cyborg waved it aside. "You're perfect!" he shrieked suddenly. They stared at him. "I'll use you as bait to lure Foamy out of hiding!"

"But…"

"No! You WILL help me catch my arch nemesis!" Cyborg screeched. The largest member of the Titans dove to their feet and pulled out three pots with handles. He slapped the biggest on his own head, then slammed the others on Beast Boy and Raven, causing them to see stars. "You're gonna need this protection," he said wisely. "Dangerous stuff. You may not survive."

"Cy, it's a rodent!"

"He is a pure evil genius!" Cyborg said, grabbing the front of Beast Boy's uniform and dragging him off his feet. "He will stop at nothing to destroy us all!" With that, he seized Raven's arm and took off like a rocket down the hall. As he swung around wildly, he accidentally knocked his teammates into the walls as he ran. Luckily, Raven and Beast Boy never hit so hard they were seriously injured, but the food that was still stuck to their uniforms smeared onto the walls, leaving dirty streaks behind them.

The squirrel seemed to realize he was being chased again, and did his best to lose the Titans. He banked a hard right, then an almost immediate left. Cyborg, however, was not so easily deterred. He matched the creature move for move. But with a sudden turn-

"He's heading for the basement!" announced Cyborg. "We've got him now!" He ripped open one of the shafts that would lead to the basement after a nice, long fall and leapt into midair.

---

"Here are your dinners," the waiter said, having returned to bring the meals to the Titans. Robin and Starfire looked up, both still smiling about something that they'd been discussing. The waiter was balancing two plates in his hands. He placed the first in front of Starfire, who gave a little coo of glee. Her salad was heaped up on a dish about six or seven inches above the table's surface. It was a lot of food, but Starfire was hungry. The waiter placed the second dish down at Robin's seat. He peered down through the gloom at it. They thanked the waiter, and Robin took a nervous bite.

Crab cake! Robin cursed under his breath. Definitely not his favorite. But it was tolerable, and he could certainly deal with it for Starfire. He glanced over at her to see her well into her meal. She noticed his gaze. "Would you like to try any, Robin?" she asked.

"Sure, Star," Robin answered. An idea hit him. "You want some of mine?"

"Oh yes, very much so! I want to try as many new foods as possible." Robin took an unused bread plate and gave Starfire a generous helping of his crab cake. He passed it over to her. She looked around, but there were no spare plates left.

"Just put it here," Robin instructed. Starfire put it on the dish as he indicated. Robin smirked inwardly. He'd learned the trick of mixing up foods and patting them down to make it seem as if one ate more than they really did. He tried some of the salad and enjoyed it, and grinned as he saw Starfire polish off the crab cake. They continued their dinner, still chatting.

However, they'd forgotten one thing. Outside, a white van drove slowly, as if circling the city in search of its prey. The man in the driver's seat sat hunched over the wheel, peering around hungrily. As he passed the restaurant with the two Titans inside, he gave a twitch. There! It was Robin's motorcycle! He'd know it anywhere. He slammed on the brakes, and quickly parked across the street before someone else driving by took the spot. He turned around to look into the back of the van. "You ready, Clarice?"

A skinny black woman hoisted a large camera onto her shoulder. "Absolutely. Lead the way, Joe."

The man named Joe grinned maliciously. The perfect story lay just beyond those doors across the street, and he intended to get it. He and his partner quickly crossed the street, and Joe held the door open for Clarice as she carried the camera. The man at the front desk looked aghast as the reporters entered the restaurant.

But they were not the only ones. The dozens of TV station cars, newspaper cars, and radio broadcast vans that had been prowling Jump City in search of the elusive Titans immediately recognized the white van that was already parked outside the restaurant. They all began to pour into the restaurant, followed by screaming fans. Soon they were all pressing into the tiny foyer of the restaurant. The man out front had been joined by three other waiters and even a cook, in the hopes that they could contain the mass of media people.

Robin heard the commotion and looked up. He winced as he saw the dozens of people carrying cameras and signs. He turned back to Starfire. "We've been caught," he said grimly. She turned to look as well. The crowd had managed to push its way forward a bit. It was far enough forward that Clarice was able to shout to Joe, "There they are!" Of course, everyone else overheard, and began pushing and shoving to get into the restaurant for an interview.

Starfire could also understand why there were throngs of teenage girls holding signs that read "I Love Robin" and "Date Me!" but she was confused by the multitude of males. Surely they weren't here for Robin as well? But her question was answered as she heard one of them shout, "Don't you dare touch my girl!" and she realized with a jolt they were _her_ fans.

"I'm so sorry," panted a voice from her side, and Starfire turned to see their waiter at their elbows. "On behalf of the entire staff, I offer my apologies-"

"Not your fault," Robin said gruffly. "Is there a back door we can sneak out?"

"Well," the man said, still slightly out of breath. "I suppose… but it's really not suitable for the young lady."

Robin smiled. "She can handle it." He stood up, and Starfire followed suit. "Look, we're gonna need to get out of here quickly, and if it's alright with you, we'll send you the bill later after we've gotten home safely. You have my word we'll pay."

"Oh, I have no doubt that you will, sir," the waiter said. "Let me show you to the door… but it's not pretty." He led them through the kitchen (where they received confused stares) and out to a grimy back door which had clearly only been used to take out the trash. "I'm terribly sorry about all this," the man said.

"Don't worry about it," Robin assured him, thinking about the crab cake he had to abandon.

The Boy Wonder grabbed Starfire's hand and she took off into the night. Unfortunately, the reporters inside had glanced them disappearing, and were now back in their vans and cars in full force. Starfire could see them below her as she flew. But she felt a shiver of dread as she heard a loud whirring noise from behind her. Over her shoulder, she saw they were now being pursued by helicopters.

"Oh, perfect!" moaned Robin.

"Hold on tightly, please!" Starfire shouted. Robin reached up to take her other hand, and Starfire gripped him hard. "This might become slightly bumpy!" She dodged and weaved every which way in the hopes of losing their followers, but the media people were extremely persistent. Another helicopter swooped in from above, and Starfire gasped, caught unaware. She dropped in altitude quickly just as the helicopter zoomed over her head. She was hit with sudden idea, but it was dangerous. "Robin, be very careful!" she cried, then allowed herself to fall. Robin gasped out loud as they hurtled towards the ground at an alarming rate.

---

"Everybody put your hands together for Melanie!" cried a DJ, standing on a podium in a small karaoke club. A girl stepped down the stairs, giggling hysterically as she joined up with her friends again. "Who's next?"

One of his assistants handed him a small slip of paper. He read it carefully, then grinned. "Our next guest wishes to remain anonymous, but he'll be doing 'something of his own creation.' Does he have a CD?" the man asked, turning to his aide. The other man nodded, handing it over.

The head DJ walked over to the stereo system and popped open the CD rack. He removed one of the CDs already inserted and pushed it closed once more. He scanned ahead to get to the right song, hit pause quickly, then addressed the crowd again.

"This guy says he's got a dance routine too. So let's all watch and listen! Put your hands together!" he cried as he walked off stage and left room for the next singer. The curtains in the back opened dramatically as the DJ hit play on his remote.

Slade stood with his back to the audience. He was dressed in his normal attire except for the addition of a sparkly green wig and a frilly pink tutu. The music began to pick up speed and he whirled around to face the crowd. "Nice hair!" someone cried from the back.

Slade began leaping around the stage, performing perfect pirouettes and spinning like a top. He stopped short and dramatically pulled his hands in front of his face in time with the techno music. He then pranced to the front and did a back flip with a flare of the tutu, which caused a round of applause from the audience. Slade began to wiggle his hips in a jerky fashion as the music picked up tempo. It was reaching a climax when it slowed to a low hum and Slade gazed out at the audience. The words began, and he started to belt out the lyrics.

"**_I'm a little teapot, short and stout_**…"

---

Robin groaned as he sat up, groggy. As he looked around to get his bearings, he noticed he was lying on a roof that was lower than the skyscrapers around him. It sheltered him from view from the helicopters that still circled overheard like vultures searching for carrion. He knew the cars and avid fans must still be stalking him from below. He looked to his left and saw Starfire sitting on the edge of the roof, gazing down at the streets beneath them.

With a jolt of sheer terror, he realized he was no longer wearing his sunglasses.

Robin choked as he spun around, still sitting. With a tremendous sigh of relief, he saw them lying by his left hand. He picked them up, then heard Starfire speak.

"I felt that the only way to escape the reporters was to fall suddenly. My plan succeeded, and they have been searching for us ever since. Your sunglasses fell off in the process however. I retrieved them for you. I did not… see your eyes, so you do not have to worry." Robin sat up straighter. "I had truly hoped that tonight… you would reveal them to me. But I… well, certainly… I wanted you to show me. I did not want to simply discover on my own without your knowledge - or even worse, without your consent. So you will find your sunglasses by your hand. Do not fret; your secret is still safe."

Robin stood up, still holding his sunglasses in his hand. Starfire rose as well, but she didn't turn around. Robin glanced down at the glasses in his hand, then back at Starfire. He stepped closer. "Star, turn around."

"What?"

"Just turn around." She did. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she found herself staring into perfect blue pools. Robin gazed at her, smiling slightly at the surprised look on her face. Starfire stepped closer, brushing Robin's hair back with a light stroke of her hand. She could not tear her gaze away from the crystal-like azure eyes that seemed to penetrate her very soul. Robin remained motionless as Starfire continued to drink in the sight of his eyes. He thought he would have felt exposed and half-naked without anything obscuring his eyes from view, but with Starfire, it was different. He felt completely at ease and entirely caught up in the moment. He was still contemplating this thought when he felt Starfire's lips cover his own, and he leaned in to deepen the kiss.

---

"This is disgusting!" cried Beast Boy as he stood up. He had transformed into a bird to keep himself from landing hard on the basement floor. Raven had had to support Cyborg, who had completely forgotten he couldn't fly, and was now panting on the floor. Cyborg was sniffing around all the boxes, still hot on the trail. Beast Boy bent to pick up his fallen pot.

"Put it back on!" screeched Cyborg, and Beast Boy hastily complied.

Raven looked down at herself and found she agreed wholeheartedly with Beast Boy. Because she'd still been covered in food when they entered the basement, the dust and grime has stuck to her, coating her in a filthy mess. Beast Boy had a similar problem, and was attempting to wipe the mess off, but only succeeded in smearing it more. He gagged.

"Don't you worry," Cyborg muttered. "I'll be able to use you as bait yet."

"Dude, no creature on Earth - or any other planet, for that matter - would _ever_ try to go after us when we're covered in this crap!" shouted Beast Boy vehemently.

Before Raven could voice her words of agreement and displeasure at their present predicament, the three Titans heard a chattering noise coming from above. They all looked up at the same time to see the squirrel perched on the railing of the steps. Somehow, the door was open, and with a final squeak, the beast ran through it.

"Argh!" roared Cyborg. He held up his right arm and it changed into his Sonic Cannon. Beast Boy and Raven were about to protest, but he fired before they could speak. A gaping hole appeared next to the doorway through which the squirrel escaped.

"Cyborg!"

"We have to catch Da Squirrel! We have to get him!" Cyborg charged up the steps as quickly as he could. His teammates ran after him in the hopes that they'd be able to stop him from damaging the Tower any more than he already had.

As the Titans entered the main room once again, the squirrel was happily engorging itself on the food splattered all over the kitchen. Cyborg let out a battle whoop and leapt through the air. He missed the squirrel and went skidding through the food on the floor, leaving a huge mark on the floor. The squirrel let out a chatter that Raven swore sounded like laughter. Then the creature dived out of sight again.

"No! Don't let him get away!" cried the cybernetic teen from the floor. He shot another blast of his Sonic Cannon straight up, leaving a hole in the ceiling. He jumped to his feet, ready to spring into action. He saw the squirrel out of the corner of his eye, and shot blindly. He missed. More movement! Shoot! Cyborg continued to blast apart the Tower as the squirrel scampered every which way, avoiding the beams.

Finally, a blast through the window caused it to shatter everywhere, and Cyborg suddenly found both of his teammates on his arms, shouting at him. Apparently, they'd been yelling for some time.

"What do you think you're doing? You're to kill us all-"

"You're wrecking the Tower! We're gonna have to pay for that-"

"Leave the stupid squirrel alone! You're never-"

"What did it do to you? You have no right-"

But Cyborg didn't listen. He threw himself into the air in a graceful arc, dragging his friends along with him. They yelped. He landed on the couch, face first, as Raven and Beast Boy went sprawling the pots on their heads flying off. Cyborg began to gnaw on a pillow, shaking it like a dog would a chew toy. Raven sprang to her feet and gave Cyborg a resounding punch to the temple. Cyborg was undamaged, but it seemed to knock him to his senses. He glanced down and saw the tattered remains of a pillow in his mouth. He spat out a few feathers and coughed.

"Well," he said sheepishly, as Beast Boy and Raven glared down at him. "That was-"

"_What happened_?" came a voice from the elevator. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven all cringed. They turned to face a furious Robin and a surprised Starfire. They were home a little earlier than the other Titans expected.

"You know," Beast Boy tried. "It's an interesting story…"

Robin surveyed the damage with horror in his eyes (which were once again hidden by the sunglasses) as he saw the food smeared all over the floors, the cabinets, and the walls. The dirt that Raven and Beast Boy had collected downstairs had been flung everywhere during Cyborg's rampage. There were holes in the floor, holes in the walls, and a completely shattered window to Robin's right. Pots lay on the floor. He felt his blood pounding in his head, and turned wrathfully toward his teammates. "Are you telling me we can't leave you alone in the Tower for one evening?"

He sat them down on the couch and ranted for about forty-five minutes. Starfire went over to the refrigerator and checked inside. Once again, they were running low on food. She sighed, and gazed back at her friends as Robin continued to chew them out. Finally, he dismissed them with a final shout, and demanded they clean up the entire mess before morning. He stalked off, motioning to Starfire to follow him. "C'mon Star. You don't have to help. _You_ didn't make this mess. Let's go to bed while these guys clean." Cyborg and Beast Boy were both still too sheepish to make a joke about the way Robin phrased his last sentence.

Starfire hesitated, then murmured, "I am sorry, friends." She then flew off down the hall. Raven felt hollow. How could she have allowed herself to get caught up in all of that? It was positively embarrassing.

"I'll go get the mops," Cyborg muttered, and stood up. He left the room to retrieve the cleaning items.

Beast Boy and Raven sat in silence on the couch, neither looking at each other or the torn pillow next to them. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Beast Boy cleared his throat. Raven turned to look at him. "Hey Raven," he said. "Was that… that there," - he gestured with his thumb over his shoulder at the kitchen area, still covered in the food - "another moment? Like we were…" he trailed off.

Raven gazed at him, her expression unreadable. She seemed to be processing all that had just occurred. Beast Boy was about to jump in and say she didn't have to answer and to forget it when Raven smiled. It was small, and on anyone else, it would have been unnoticeable, but Beast Boy saw it the instant it appeared.

"Yes, Beast Boy. Yes, that was another moment." The two sat in comfortable silence, side by side, until Cyborg returned with the mops and buckets of soapy water. Though they didn't say anything while they worked, Cyborg noticed a small smile on Beast Boy's lips and a sparkle in Raven's eyes, and he wondered how they got there.

-----

Author's Notes: Drat! I thought I was going to get this up a few days ago. Grr… why am I so plagued by FRIENDS all the time?

Yes, that's why this is late. I was attacked, I tell you! Dragged off! Kidnapped! But I did get Chinese food, so I didn't press charges. -

Anyway, a few things worthy of note: firstly, I was inspired to write about Robin's difficulties in the restaurant with the menu because they had this whole section of the Annie's Mailbox column talking about how people had such trouble reading the menus in the fancy restaurants. One man even pulled out a pen light to see. I just thought it was a hilarious scenario, and I hope you enjoyed it as well!

Also, a word of wise to all my fellow Teen Titans writers: do NOT try to write a story or chapter about the Teen Titans after just having reread a slew of the Animorphs book. If you felt that Starfire was a little off this chapter, that would be why. I did everything in my power to not turn her into Ax (the alien in the Animorphs, who I also happen to be in love with). Just be thankful they didn't go to Cinnabon.

But on that subject, if anyone else is familiar with the Animorphs, you may have noticed Beast Boy takes on their battle morphs quite often. He's usually a gorilla, or a tiger, or a grizzly bear, or a wolf, or even a hawk when he needs to fly. I mean, I think Beast Boy's a tiger more than a lion, and a grizzly bear more than a polar bear. Pretty cool that he favors their battle morphs. Now all he needs to do is be an Andalite! (I think I just lost everyone…)

Oh! Guess what I found out! People are getting in trouble for putting review replies in their chapters. I'm really mad! I **love **doing the replies! But I don't want my story taken down, so I won't do them (if/until we are allowed to do them again, of course). But I will vaguely answer questions that I was asked. In a very vague manner.

For example, I vaguely remember Snea and AnimeKittyCafe offering to be beta readers. If they are still interested, they can find my vague e-mail address on my profile page and can send me a vague e-mail saying they still would like to help out. Let it be known that I am vaguely in love with them for the offers. I also have a vague memory of Mad Mauser offering to send me something by AIM, so I will vaguely say my screen name on AIM is kulwolf37. (I will also vaguely mention anyone else is allowed to take that and IM if they feel so vaguely compelled.) I vaguely remember heX asking if I had "True Love" on another vague site. I don't, so if anyone sees a vaguely familiar story on another site, vaguely let me know. (I have Chapter 15 vaguely planned out on paper on my desk here, which is how I know what vaguely happens in Chapter 15.) Also, this story vaguely takes place after Season 3, but I might be vaguely wrong about that. It might even be considered a vague alternate universe, but I'm not sure. Also, ScarletAngel68 vaguely asked how she inspired the Slade bit of last time. I vaguely remember her saying Slade should talk to squirrels, and I was going to use that, in a very vague manner. But then I vaguely read HBP and I had to change it to snakes.

I'd like to vaguely thank everyone else who reviewed, and want them to vaguely know I love them, but was not able to answer their reviews properly because they didn't have any vague questions. I vaguely beg your forgiveness.

Also, a note about the new school year. I STUPIDLY, STUPIDLY, STUPIDLY took four honors classes, as well as Latin as my elective. MORON! This is what happened…

---

Math Teacher: Well, I know you don't love math, but you did very well in Geometry this year. Your Algebra marks weren't as high, but still in the A range. Keep in mind you're doing Algebra II next year, so it'll be very difficult if you sign up for Honors-

Me: I'LL DO IT!

---

History Teacher: Your essays are great, sweetie, and you seem to understand the material at a fast pace. But do keep in mind that the pace will be _much_ faster and your Honors teachers will grade you _much_ harder than-

Me: I'LL DO IT!

---

English Teacher: I know English is your favorite subject, as well your best. This semester you demonstrated an amazing depth for a person of your age. You have the ability to think outside the box, and that's what they're looking for in Honors. But remember, an A in Level 1 is equivalent to a B in an Honors class-

Me: I'LL DO IT!

---

Science Teacher: You really enjoyed Biology this year, didn't you? Well, sadly there are no Bio classes for you next year (but I'm glad you signed up for the Bermuda trip, so I'll see you in July). There's Earth Science, however, and Chemistry. You're supposed to take the same level Chem as you're taking for Math, so I guess you want-

Me: I'LL DO IT!

---

Me: I'LL DO IT!

Spanish Teacher: Honey, neither your first semester teacher or I recommended you for Honors, so you can't take it.

Me: Oh. Level 1 then.

---

Guidance Counselor: I see you're taking a lot of Honors courses next year. Now, you took Latin this year and got excellent grades. Obviously, it will benefit you to take it again next year, but keep in mind you'll only have one Study Hall a week if you're lucky, and the teachers for Latin next year will give you a much more challenging-

Me: I'LL DO IT!

---

What the heck was I thinking? So much for being smart. Anyway, I'm certainly GOING to update the story, but please don't hate me if it takes a while during the first few weeks. You'll know why… But do keep a sharp eye out for the next chapter! Until then!


	15. Circus of Horrors

Author's Notes: I don't even know what to say. I am so horribly late, it's NAUSEATING!

Well, combine tons of schoolwork, getting a new dog (named Titan!), hanging out with friends, softball conditioning, and the list never ends. The really pathetic part is that despite the fact that it looks like I "forgot" about this story, nothing could be farther from the truth. As I told a couple of people I've been talking to, I wrote about not-being-able-to-write in my journal probably every day since I last updated. Yeah. How sad is that?

Anyway, I was also furious with myself. I MISSED "Calling All Titans!" I'm working on downloading it now… hopefully I can get it to work. I taped the other two episodes after it so I'll be able to watch them as soon as I get the episode to download. So this leads me to my next thought:

_**ABSOLUTELY NO SPOILERS WHEN YOU REVIEW!**_

I have no way of knowing what you say in a review until I read it, and if you've included some spoilers, I won't figure it out until it's too late. So let me say that again: NO SPOILING IT FOR ME! I'm trying desperately to get the episode (if you know where I can find it, let me know!), but until then, just hold off on mentioning anything! Thanks!

OK, the first Slade bit for this chapter was inspired by M.E. Pal, and the next one by both M.E. Pal and Ami-chan. Credit goes out to them! Thanks guys!

Also, huge thanks and credit go out to Anime Kitty Café, who beta read this chapter for me. She got it to me so quickly too!

Hmm, I'm betting since it's been so long, you all really don't wanna hear me gab. Thus, this chapter!

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Chapter 15: Circus of Horrors

Lieutenant Jeremy Cook was reclining in his office chair. He had had a busy night, and his hair was damp with perspiration. He had removed his helmet so he could breathe more easily, and his feet were propped up on the corner of his desk. He tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. The chief of police was still out on patrol, so Cook was required to remain in the office.

A shrill beep cut through the still air like a knife. Cook lifted his head wearily, staring blankly at the small black box that sat on his desk. But it was only for an instant, and he was already moving towards the phone. He lifted his official lieutenant communicator to his ear. "Cook here," he said into it with a drained voice. But as he listened to the crackling that came through, his eyes grew wide. All the exhaustion disappeared from his body as he sat upright in his chair, staring straight ahead. "Got it," he said briskly, then hung up. He put his head in his hands. It was going to be a long night. But he knew what to do. He turned to his right where a small control panel sat on his desk. There was one red button on it. He pushed it down, then turned to face the front of the room, where a screen had dropped down from the ceiling. He was making the call.

---

"Man, no. You're just wrong." Cyborg rolled his eyes at his leader. "I mean, we all make mistakes, but you have completely outdone yourself this time."

"What? No way! You _know_ I'm right, you're just too ashamed to admit it. You wish you'd thought of it first!"

"Definitely not. You've got it totally backwards."

"Oh, you think so?" Robin demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Absolutely."

Robin and Cyborg were engaged in an argument over which fictional movie character could beat up the other. They'd been at it for a good forty-five minutes, having already driven Raven from the room, nearly tearing out her hair at the pointlessness of the conversation. But the boys were still at it, and in full force.

"Clearly, Ohio Smith is _the_ best explorer/martial artist symbologist in all of moviedom. He'd flatten Neon."

"Not a chance!" cried the cybernetic teen. "Neon has mind-control powers _and_ an energy beam sword. It's not even a contest. Neon is definitely stronger."

Robin opened his mouth to retort, but there was a beep from behind him, and he turned to face the giant monitor. The face of a young man filled the screen. His hair was tousled, and he had bright blue eyes. Robin immediately recognized him as the lieutenant police officer. He sprang to his feet and ran over to the main computer. "Report!" he said, suddenly all business. "What's the problem?"

"We just received a call," the man said equally as professional. "Apparently there's some trouble down by the water, by our other shore. Not in your bay. There's a large yacht under siege there. We don't know exactly who's doing the attacking, but from the information we have so far, this guy is trouble. Can I ask you to check it out? We've been having a busy night, and my men are tired. We'll provide you with back up, obviously, but we could use more manpower-"

"Not a problem," Robin said quickly. "We'll be there. What's the name of the boat?"

"She's called the H.M.S. Highwind." He shrugged. "I don't know anything about it, but it needs our protection. That's good enough for me."

"Good enough for the Titans, too," said Robin with a grin. "We're on our way." He severed the connection, then slammed his fist down onto a button on the keyboard. Cyborg had listened in from behind the Boy Wonder, and so had no response to the alarm sounding throughout the Tower now.

Starfire was the first to arrive on the scene. She looked slightly surprised, as if she had been preoccupied when the alert had gone off, but she now clenched her fists, nodding in a determined fashion at her teammates. Raven came next, phasing through the roof to stand next to Cyborg. She was pulling her hood up in the process. Finally, Beast Boy appeared, a comb stuck in his hair. He was panting. "You were trying to style your hair again, weren't you?" Cyborg asked. Beast Boy only glared at him, confirming the thought.

"Titans, we're needed at the opposite shoreline. We're looking for the H.M.S. Highwind. Let's move!" Robin shouted. Starfire and Raven zipped to the door while Cyborg and Robin followed on foot. Beast Boy transformed into a large hawk, then flew after them.

---

An elderly woman tried to run away, but she was entangled in the evening dress she wore, and she fell hard on the deck of the ship. The breath was knocked out of her, and it took a few moments for her to regain enough air to hoist her slightly overweight form off the ground. She was on her hands and knees when she looked over her shoulder and gasped in fright.

Two creatures were closing in on her. She wasn't going to make it. It was all over. Today was supposed to be one of the greatest days she ever had, and here it would be her last. She screamed and braced herself for the inevitable, covering her head with her arms.

But it never came. The two creatures shrieked from behind her, and as she looked up, she saw them thrown off to the left by a beam of white and blue light.

"Booyah!" came a voice from the woman's right. She turned to see a group of five teenagers standing on the outside rail of the ship. The woman had never felt more relieved in her life.

The Titans were perched on the rail, trying to get a sense of what was going on. From the few moments they had already been there, they could see the cause of the panic. The well-dressed men and women on deck were being terrorized by creatures unknown to any of the Titans. They were about two feet tall, and they had large wings sprouting from their backs. Their eyes were a gruesome sight, bright red with cat-like pupils. They had gaping jaws with rows of sharp teeth. Their arms were long and almost out of place, for they seemed to flow and bend easily, unlike the rest of the creature, which was stocky, but these arms ended in wicked yellow claws. They had short, stubby legs that ended in bird-like talons. Their entire bodies were covered tiny feathers spaced close together.

One of the creatures dove after a young girl, letting out an ear-piercing shriek as it swooped down. Robin tossed a smoke bomb, and it went off a few feet from the scene. The girl was able to escape in the clouds produced from the bomb.

"Titans, go!" shouted Robin, but they had only gotten a few feet when they saw him.

"What's going on over here?" a low, smooth voice said. A man came into view. He had black hair that hung down into his eyes, and he had to shake his head so he could see. The man appeared to be floating in midair, but on closer inspection, the Titans saw he was actually standing on a small disk. He wore a long black trench coat and a curious expression on his face.

"Who are you?" demanded Robin. Starfire powered up a small starbolt behind her back, just in case.

The man smirked. "My name is unimportant, but you can call me the Ringmaster. This is my maniacal menagerie," he said with a laugh. "You like 'em?"

"What are these things?" asked Cyborg, glaring at the man hovering overhead.

The man looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know, I don't know _what_ to call them anymore. I started with simple strands of DNA from different animals, but as you can see, I've warped them beyond recognition. What you're looking at is the final product of a very long project. I think these guys are attempt number 29. The other 28 were failures and had to be disposed of."

"You mean you manipulated live animals for your sick enjoyment?" cried Beast Boy, clenching his fists. Starfire poured a little more energy into the hidden starbolt.

"Not for enjoyment," the Ringmaster said silkily. "For my circus."

Starfire could take it no longer. With a grunt, she flung the starbolt at the Ringmaster. His eyes widened in surprise momentarily, but the disk he stood on swerved out of the way. He watched the green energy ball fly off into the distance over the harbor, then turned his smug gaze back to the Titans.

"I'm impressed. That blast was more powerful than I expected. I guess you're the one they call Starfire." She only narrowed her eyes at him. The Ringmaster scratched his chin with mild interest, as if they were discussing politics over coffee. "Yes, I believe they say you're an alien? Very interesting. You must have all sorts of unique animals living on your planet. If only there was-"

Raven concentrated, and a chair a few feet away from the Titans took to the air and flew at the man. He lazily flicked his wrist at it, and four creatures leapt on it. In mere seconds, it was reduced to wood shavings.

The Ringmaster chuckled. "That's gotta be Raven. A pleasure. Your powers are quite remarkable. I must say, from the few clips on TV I've seen, you're the most amusing Titan to watch." Raven sneered at him. The Ringmaster turned his gaze on Beast Boy. "You seemed most offended by my minions. You must be Beast Boy. I don't know how you came to be in your current situation, but I can only imagine how extraordinary that story is. I'd love to run some tests and see if there's any way to reproduce your symptoms."

"You are seriously messed up!" Cyborg cried vehemently. The Ringmaster smiled at him.

"You're the cybernetic one. Well, I have to admit, I was getting discouraged with my failed experiments earlier, and I considered manufacturing my little circus instead. But I decided against it. Cybernetic technology is never as powerful as flesh and blood." Cyborg felt a surge of hatred for the man above him. He growled under his breath. Robin put a hand on his arm to let him know to wait for the signal.

"Ah, Robin! The famous leader!" the Ringmaster said. "The gang's all here. Charming, charming. This should be very entertaining. Possibly my best show yet." And with that, he waved his arms with a flourish. Five of the creatures swooped down on the Titans.

"Titans, go!" Robin cried, and his teammates leapt into action. Raven quickly summoned up dark energy to her palms. She enshrouded one of the beasts in it, but it let out a horrible screech and snapped its arms out, freeing itself. Raven gulped inwardly. This was going to be tough.

Starfire was already experiencing problems. She had fired off multiple rounds of starbolts, but the warped animals easily dodged them. One had even swallowed a starbolt. Its stomach had expanded and stretched as the starbolt sat in it, but then the creature seemed to belch and smoke issued from between its teeth. The Ringmaster had witnessed this and laughed.

"Stomach of a vulture," he said in a tone that could have been used to describe the weather. "They have to digest just about everything when they eat. Bones, diseased meat, everything. I figured it would be useful."

"I'll show you useful," muttered Beast Boy under his breath. He transformed into a pterodactyl and took to the air. He flapped until he'd gained some altitude, then dove straight for the Ringmaster's head. But before he could come within ten feet of the man, Beast Boy was swarmed by the creatures, all of them shrieking in his ears. The green pterodactyl cried out as he felt what seemed like hundreds of claws digging into his flesh. Beast Boy changed himself into a turtle and withdrew into his shell. He fell from the air, hurtling down into the arms of a certain dark Titan. Raven carefully plucked the turtle from the air and set her teammate down on a table.

Cyborg punched a beast from the air, grunting. He had refrained from using his Sonic Cannon thus far. He wasn't sure if the vile things attacking him could be counted as animals, but he didn't want to start blasting them unless he was sure. Cyborg had his morals; besides, Starfire's attacks seemed to have little effect.

The Ringmaster faked a yawn. "Listen, guys, you gotta come up with some new moves. Do you know how many times I've seen you fight this same way on TV? My minions are a new model, and I'd like to see what they're really capable of. You have to put up more of a fight."

Robin gritted his teeth. As much as he hated to admit it, the Ringmaster had a point. The Titans were not faring very well against these creatures. The Ringmaster could have built them specifically to deflect the Titans' attacks. "Regroup!" Robin called out. His teammates obeyed.

"We have to destroy these monsters!" hissed Beast Boy. "They're freaks of nature and shouldn't be alive!" Raven turned to look at the green Titan with surprise. "Seriously," continued Beast Boy vehemently. "There are some things that are just not meant to exist in the natural world. These guys gotta go."

Robin spoke up. "What we need to focus on is getting at the Ringmaster. Once he's out of the way, those things won't stand a chance. We'll send them away for testing; maybe they can be restored. If not, we'll let them be euphemized peacefully." Beast Boy nodded in agreement, still looking angry.

For a brief moment, Raven allowed herself to be amazed at Beast Boy's passion. He truly seemed offended and infuriated at the Ringmaster for his experiments. True, they were highly unethical, but Raven had never really seen Beast Boy display any passion for a cause before. Now that she thought about it, however, it fit. What calling could there be that would be more appropriate than animal rights for someone like Beast Boy?

"You know, I'm not going to wait forever," the Ringmaster stated calmly. He continued to hover over the deck, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Titans, just get to the Ringmaster. Do whatever it takes," said Robin. He smacked his fist into his open palm, and the Titans leapt away in all different directions. Starfire and Raven took to the sky, high above the battle below. Cyborg gritted his teeth as he aimed his right arm at the man. He charged up his Sonic Cannon, then let loose a powerful beam. The Ringmaster narrowed his eyes, and waved a hand in front of his body. A creature zoomed into view, blocking the way. It screamed as Cyborg's blast tore its body to pieces. It fell to the deck in a crumpled heap.

Passengers were ducking behind tables, trying to crouch down as low as they could in their formal evening wear. But when they saw the vile thing fall lifeless to the floor, panic broke loose. Some of the younger men grabbed chairs and ran out towards the body of the creature. They used the chairs to maneuver the animal over the side and into the water with a splash. It quickly sank beneath the waves.

"Hmm," the Ringmaster said thoughtfully. "I'll have to fix that in the next model."

"There won't be a next model!" cried Robin as he swung his bo staff around in rapid circles over his head. He soared into the air, bringing the staff down as hard as he could in the process. The Ringmaster clenched his fists. He swerved, narrowly missing crashing into Robin's swing. Robin fell into the midst of the creatures, and they were on him in a flash.

"Robin!" yelled Starfire. She concentrated, and twin jets of green energy sparked from her eyes. Six of the monsters cried out, taking to the air. The rest of them were flung backwards as Robin swung his bo staff around his body. He lifted one arm into the air, and Starfire swooped in to grab hold.

Beast Boy had transformed himself into a stegosaurus, and was currently parading around the deck of the boat, swinging his deadly tail at the animals. They were much swifter than he was, making it difficult for him to actually hit them. In a way, he was grateful for that fact. Even though they were hideous freaks of nature now, they had once been native inhabitants of Earth. Well, their DNA was natural, anyway. All of it had been manipulated by a human to create something that should never exist. Beast Boy's blood boiled when he thought of it.

Raven meanwhile had her hands full with protecting the passengers on board. The creatures seemed to know the Titans were there to guard the humans, and they were using it to their advantage. Raven felt a bead of sweat roll down her face as she hit what must have been the hundredth creature with a stray table.

Cyborg let out a loud yell as one of the mutants raked him with its claws. It left gaping gashes in his cybernetic parts. Cyborg clutched at his arm, sinking to one knee. It would take him hours to fix the circuitry! He swore under his breath, then stood up again, growling as he threw rapid punches at the creatures.

"You guys are a riot to watch!" the Ringmaster gloated. "I can't get enough of this!"

"Why are you here?" demanded Robin as he threw smoke bombs at the creatures from the safety of Starfire's grasp. "Why this ship?"

"No reason. It was here. I was here. It was just a perfect opportunity," the Ringmaster said, shrugging. "I don't even know what this boat is for, truth be told. I'm just here to let my creations have a bit of fun before we get down to business. I've got big plans for these guys once we've taken care of you." The Ringmaster crossed his arms over his chest again. "I'll get the respect I deserve," he murmured to himself. "No one will _ever_ tell me what to do again."

But the Ringmaster's momentary lapse in concentration cost him. He grunted as he felt something whiz by his ear. He clasped a hand to it, and found it bloody. A small chunk of a chair's leg was hovering in front of the Ringmaster, covered in dark energy. Raven was levitating over him, glowering down at the man.

"Whoops," she said sarcastically. "Did I hit you?"

But the creatures would not stand for an attack on their master. With shrieks that could wake the dead, they congregated around the dark Titan, encircling her in a whirlwind of fangs, claws, and their strange furry feathers.

"Raven!" yelled Beast Boy. He caught a tiny glimpse of her frightened expression before the creatures had entirely blocked her from view.

---

"I can't believe we're doing this on a Friday night!" whined a teenage girl, running her perfectly manicured nails through her platinum blonde hair. "Why can't we just wait until next week sometime?"

"We need a replacement for Melinda _now_ so we can figure out a new routine. We don't have the time to wait until next week," snapped another girl, this one with red hair.

The girls were sitting at a long table situated in their school's gymnasium. The blonde moaned, wrinkling her nose in an unattractive way and turned her gaze away, bored. The red haired girl folded her hands in front of her face, resting her elbows on the table. She sighed. The girl was captain of the cheerleading squad, and she was holding tryouts to try to replace a girl who had broken her leg a week ago. Melinda had been a fairly good cheerleader, but she'd been fooling around with a bunch of her friends in the woods (probably drinking) and had tripped over a root. The red head, Nanette, had been furious when she'd found out. She was the exact opposite of the stereotypical cheerleader; she was determined, intelligent, and poised. She refused the football captain's multiple requests for a date, knowing where it would lead by the end of the night. She kept up in school and didn't partake in any sorts of drugs or alcohol. The reason? Nanette was extremely competitive. When she decided to do something, she didn't just want to accomplish it; she wanted to be the _best_.

So here she was, having said no to yet another date (this one from the captain of the basketball team) just so she could try to fill up her roster once more. Their school had been invited to a very prestigious competition for cheerleading, and Nanette wanted to win first place. But that idiot Melinda jeopardized their chances! "Next," called Nanette, feeling frustrated. How could she possibly find a replacement with such short notice?

Someone appeared at the other end of the large room, emerging from the locker rooms. But instead of a scantily clad teenager, it was a man covered in spandex and armor. He wore a wig over a mask, giving him an oddly shaped head. The blonde girl lifted her head up, gawking at the strange man. Nanette blinked for a few moments before clearing her throat.

"Um… do you go to this school?"

Slade flicked his eyes back and forth, only one visible from under his mask. "Of course," he said evasively. "I, uh, just don't want to reveal my true identity… yet."

"Then what's with the wig?" drawled the blonde girl.

"You know what? At this point, I don't care. Begin your cheer," said Nanette forcefully. 'This should be… interesting, at least. But if he wastes my time, he's going to pay.'

Slade clapped his hands excitedly. "OK!" he cried, lifting one arm above his head. "Let's go!"

He swung his arms around his head in a poor imitation of a clock. "What time is it?"

The girls blinked at him.

"Go time!" he screeched. Slade flung himself into the air, performing multiple back flips and twirls. He landed neatly and began to twist his body into different letters. Unfortunately for him, Slade had forgotten the name of the school he was now in, so he just spelled out random words.

He finished his routine, wig askew. Nanette stared at him. She scribbled something down on her paper. "Best one we've seen yet," she said grudgingly. "What is this world coming to?"

"How did you learn how to do that?" asked another blonde-haired girl.

Slade scratched his chin thoughtfully. He began to twitch. "Um… I'll be right back," he said, running towards the exit.

"Wait!" cried the first blonde girl. "We don't even know your name!"

Slade burst through the front doors and stepped into the cool night air. The sun was just setting below the horizon. Slade could see it sparkling over the bay as it dipped down, casting pink and orange rays over the peaceful town. 'Peaceful,' the villain thought to himself. 'Interesting…'

He reached into a pocket and pulled out a cell phone, real this time. He quickly dialed in a number, then put the phone to his ear and waited. Finally, someone picked up. "Yes, it's me. I want you to meet me at the usual hideout for a new mission." There was a pause, then Slade chuckled evilly. "Yes. I have a new plan."

---

Raven couldn't breathe. The creatures had closed off all of her air supply before she'd had the chance to move. She tried to concentrate on phasing herself out of the tight mass of animals, but she felt a sharp bite on her leg, which made her lose her focus. Before she could even respond to that, she felt another nip on her elbow. The creatures were then whipped into a frenzy, nibbling on any part of her they could find. Raven thrashed, but to no avail. The dark Titan froze. She had to use her head. None of the injuries she was receiving were very painful. The creatures were trying to distract her - but from what?

With a deep breath, Raven closed her eyes and concentrated on creating a large shield around her body. It formed, and the beasts were repelled. Raven's eyes shot open and the shield expanded, throwing the creatures in every direction. Relief swept over Raven as she dropped the shield and floated slowly to ground. She would have to heal herself a bit before she could continue fighting. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned around. It was Robin.

"Are you all right?" he asked. She nodded. "Good." With that, he grabbed a Bird-a-rang from his belt and flung it over her head, slicing a creature's stomach open. It squealed and fell.

"Nasty," commented Raven, as she stared at the beast at her feet. She clasped a hand to her arm over her wound and let the healing energy flow into it. It was cured instantly. She smirked. 'Those things aren't so tough,' she thought. As she got to work healing the rest of her body, she looked up at the ensuing battle. Beast Boy landed a few yards in front of her as a hawk, turning back into a human as his feet touched the ground. He turned around to look at her. Their eyes met.

It only lasted for a second, but Raven felt what seemed to be an electric jolt run through her entire body. Her muscles tensed under her skin, and she felt a blush creep up around her neck. How was it possible that a single look could express so much? Beast Boy's gaze seemed to penetrate every corner of her being, all in one instant. Raven felt as if she were a Picasso painting, an object being viewed from all sides at once. It sent a chill down her spine. In that moment, she felt completely exposed.

But the green Titan turned around again, transforming himself again into a stegosaurus. The boat sunk into the water another few feet because of the added weight. The cosmic moment, or whatever it was, was over.

The Ringmaster surveyed the scene below him with him disinterest. "This battle is so very ordinary," he yawned. "I wish they would put up more of a fight."

Starfire flew around behind a group of the creatures and fired her starbolts at them. Some of them escaped the blast, but she managed to knock down most of them. Down below on the water, another fight was taking place. A few men of the police force had showed up in small boats, and were battling more of the creatures. There seemed to be an unlimited amount of them. Starfire narrowed her eyes as she glanced upwards at the Ringmaster. He smirked down at her, pointing, and five more of the beasts were upon her. She grunted as she flung them to the side.

Beast Boy appeared at her side, knocking another creature away as a ram. Starfire turned to look at her companion. "I believe," she panted, "we need to try a different approach." Beast Boy gazed at her, nonplused. "We need just _one plan_." The green Titan understood.

Cyborg let out a loud yell as he flung a creature over his shoulder. "Man, these things are _annoying_!" he cried. Robin chuckled, swinging his bo staff.

"Couldn't agree with you more."

The Ringmaster grinned as he heard Cyborg's cry. He squatted on his flying disk to get a closer view of the battle. "I guess my minions are putting up more of a fight than you expected, huh?" He straightened up. "As they should be. I've got them hardwired to present you with a challenge."

"Stop talking to yourself, dude," a harsh voice said from above. The Ringmaster gasped as he looked up just in time to see a transforming Beast Boy fall from the sky. The man had been concentrating on the fight below, he hadn't noticed the green Titan disappear from view. Then he hadn't noticed the small, green fly buzzing above him… until it was too late. The Ringmaster grunted as he felt hard nails dig into his shoulders. He hurtled through the air with a green wolf perched on his chest, growling in his face.

As their master fell from the sky, the creatures froze. The police officers below, spotting an opening, fired at the ones around their heads, shooting them from the air. The men began to scale the side of the larger boat by using makeshift ladders they'd erected when they first arrived.

"Yes!" Starfire cried joyfully, as the monsters she had been battling froze in the air. Without direction from their leader, they were only empty shells. Raven, who had joined the fray again, wrapped the creatures in her dark energy individually, securing them. There was a crash as the Ringmaster fell to the ground on his back, Beast Boy still on top of him.

"I hope you've learned your lesson," Robin said, extending his arm so that his bo staff could shrink in size. The Ringmaster only glared at him. With a grunt, a policeman hoisted himself over the rail of the boat and held his gun in front of him.

"You're under arrest," he said, removing his helmet. "I hope your time in jail will serve as a little lesson to you in two ways; not to control innocent creatures, and not to mess with the Teen Titans."

The Ringmaster flicked his eyes towards his captors. "Oh yes. I'm sure I will learn my lesson. I shall emerge from prison as a changed man." But he snapped his fingers, his arm still pinned down by the green wolf. A creature let out a howl and charged towards Beast Boy. His slanting wolf's eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't get up to defend himself, because the Ringmaster would escape, and he would be badly injured if he remained where he was. He braced himself for the inevitable-

But suddenly, someone let out a shout and pounced on the creature from nowhere. It was a young woman wearing a long white dress. She had ripped off one of her high heeled shoes, and knocked it across the back of the creature's head. She smacked it with enough force to knock the creature out of the air, and Starfire took advantage of the creature's plight and blasted it with a starbolt.

"No one is ruining my wedding!" the woman in white screeched. Everyone stared at her with surprise.

"Yes… well… we're just going to apprehend this man and be on our way, then," the police officer stated warily. More policemen had joined the group on the boat, and were now gathering up the carcasses of the creatures strewn about on the deck. Beast Boy snorted one last time in the Ringmaster's face, then got up. Two policemen immediately grabbed him by the arms. He didn't even bother to struggle.

"Don't try anything stupid," ordered the policeman escorting the hostage to the edge of the boat. The Ringmaster didn't reply; he only swung his legs over the railing and clambered down the ladder. The Titans watched him go, ready to step in if necessary.

"Thank you so much," a voice said from behind them, and they turned. It was the woman from before. She appeared to have calmed down. Next to her stood a young man wearing a tuxedo. "We're so grateful for all you've done." The man extended his hand to shake the Titans'.

"Our pleasure," Robin said, meeting the man's hand with his own gloved one. "We didn't realize this was a wedding. Are you…?"

"Name's Danny," the man said smiling. "Yeah, I'm the lucky man today." The young woman put a hand on his arm, smiling up at him. Then she turned towards the Titans.

"I'm Sam. I just can't express how thankful we are to you. Is there any way we can repay you?"

"That's really not necessary," Cyborg said from over Robin's shoulder. "We don't ask for any reward."

"You guys are just amazing," said Sam appreciatively. "You save our city every other day. We're all totally in your debt."

"You know, you got in a pretty good hit yourself," Danny teased. He pretended to look thoughtful. "Should I be a little scared?"

"You better be!" retorted the young woman. She poked him in the arm. "Just don't forget what you saw tonight, and don't get me that angry." Danny laughed. Then Sam grinned. "Would you guys like to stay for a little while? If you're not too busy?"

"Us? Really?" asked Robin.

"Absolutely! It's the least we can offer you. Feel free to help yourself to the buffet or to dance. I just hope you won't mind signing a few autographs!" Sam said excitedly.

"We don't want to crash your wedding," said Cyborg slowly, his eyes already roving around to spot the bridesmaids.

"It's already _been_ crashed," Danny said. "You guys are more than welcome."

"Please?" said Sam, smiling. Robin nodded, chuckling slightly.

"OK!" cried the DJ, climbing out from under the table he'd been hiding under. "Let's get back on track, folks." He popped in another CD, turning the volume up to its loudest pitch. All of a sudden, the dance floor was crowded with people again, the guests emerging from their hiding places instantly. Everyone was swaying to the music, young and old alike. Danny and Sam clasped their hands together, and joined everyone else. Danny waved a hand over his shoulder, motioning for the Titans to join them. Robin and Starfire followed, mingling with the guests in formal attire. Cyborg made a beeline for a group of young women in matching dresses. Beast Boy disappeared into the crowd. Raven drifted over to the food table. She gracefully popped a pig-in-a-blanket into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. This really wasn't her thing. She might as well just stay out of the way.

Raven felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find a pair of startling green eyes.

"Can I have this dance?"

---

"You see? This is possibly the best plan I've come up with yet." Slade folded his hands into a tent as he stared at his companions. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Plasmus and Cinderblock exchanged a look while Overload fizzled in a confused manner. They knew they were to follow all of Slade's orders at all times, no questions asked. None of them were really capable of forming coherent questions in the first place, so that wasn't the issue. The problem with this mission was its… oddness.

The three minions were squatting uncomfortably in a tiny room. It was furnished with a large bed where Slade sat cross-legged and a few dressers, all of which were covered in pink frills. There was a pink carpet on the floor and posters of boy bands adorning the walls. Plasmus, Cinderblock, and Overload had no idea _why_ this room was in Slade's hideout, but they were not about to say anything. There also seemed to be a large number of My Little Ponies scattered around the room, and when Plasmus had accidentally dripped ooze on it, Slade had screamed at him. Now the subordinates were afraid to make any more moves that would land them in trouble.

"Yes, this plan is most excellent. We are going to have… a _sleepover party_," Slade whispered dramatically.

Cinderblock mumbled something that might have been translated to, "Why?"

Slade smiled behind his mask. "Because… I say so."

Cinderblock relaxed slightly. If Slade said so, it must be done. No more thinking required.

Overload and Plasmus were still a bit leery, but were not about to risk the wrath of the villain, so they did not protest. Slade leaned over the side of the bed to rummage around beneath it. "We're not only going to have a sleepover party, but we're going to do it right. I do not accept failure. This will be a successful party, or you will regret it." The minions gulped. They had no idea what they were supposed to do!

"Which is why," Slade continued, "we will be using this!" He straightened up, pulling out a box with him. It was a metallic silver color, with picture of giggling girls plastered over the front. It was a nail polish box.

Overload almost cried out loud.

"Cinderblock!" barked Slade. "You're first!" Cinderblock reluctantly sidled over carefully. Slade dug through the package, its contents clinking as he moved them around. Then Slade held his hand triumphantly aloft. In his hand was a small vial of shimmering gold nail polish. "Hold out your hand," Slade commanded the large subordinate. Cinderblock hesitated, but Slade's death glare made him quickly stick out his hand. Slade carefully unscrewed the top part of the bottle, and pulled out the brush with great precision. Cinderblock winced, but did not remove his hand.

"This task takes great patience, skill, and concentration," Slade said in a mysterious voice. Cinderblock shut his eyes. This was not going to end well. "To complete this job, I must be at one with the brush. I must _feel _the brush as if it were an extension of my body." He ran his finger carefully over the small bristles. "I must _taste_ the brush as if it were merely part of my body." He lifted his mask slightly and licked the brush slowly. Overload felt slightly ill. "I must _smell_ the brush as if I have been smelling it my whole life." Slade lifted his mask a little bit more and inhaled deeply. "Whoa!" he cried, pushing him mask back down and covering his face with his hands.

The minions drew closer, concerned for their master. Plasmus screeched something, but no one understood what he was trying to say. When Slade removed his hands, his visible eye was dilated and watering slightly. "Ooh. Maybe that was a bad idea," Slade said in a woozy voice.

Cinderblock peered down at the villain. Slade looked up to meet his gaze. "Ha!" he cried. "You're made of rock! Heehee!" Cinderblock snorted indignantly. "Ooh, I'm gonna paint your nails!" Slade said happily. He slapped the brush across Cinderblock's hand, leaving a gold streak. "Whee!" said Slade as he dabbed the brush inside the bottle again. He pulled it out, then wiped more gold nail polish all over Cinderblock's arm.

Then Slade seemed to be hit with sudden inspiration. He overturned the silver box into his lap and grabbed handfuls of nail polish bottles. He leapt off the bed, then started to dance around Cinderblock waving his arms and splattering the minion with brilliant, shiny hues. "Look at me, I'm an artist!" he sang. Cinderblock only sat there, unwilling to speak up against his master. "There! Don't you look gorgeous?" Slade asked in a slurred voice. Plasmus let out a snort of laughter at his companion's plight. Slade turned to look at the oozing creature. "Hey, you're pretty funky lookin' too." He leaned closer to Plasmus. "Whew! You smell pretty funky too!"

Plasmus look perplexed. Slade slid off the bed, but lost his balance and wavered. His minions moved towards him, but he regained himself. The villain hobbled over to one of the dressers and began pawing through the drawers. He pulled out a skinny bottle filled with dark pink liquid. Next, a bottle with light green. Magenta. Orange. Neon red. Dark blue. Clear. Pale yellow.

"I found 'em!" Slade drawled. "Looky!" Plasmus gulped. "These are perfumes," Slade explained. He tried to walk back over to the bed, but tripped on the fringe of the circular rug on the floor and fell flat on his face. "I'm OK, I'm OK," he assured Overload, who helped him to his feet. "Anyway, you smell real bad. I think you should try some of these." He began spraying the first bottle of perfume in Plasmus' direction. Plasmus whimpered as the smell wafted over him. "Not enough yet!" giggled Slade, and he sprayed the rest of the perfumes onto Plasmus. The sheer amount of scent radiating off the creature was enough to make Cinderblock's eyes water, but Slade only clapped his hands excitedly.

Overload was suddenly thankful he couldn't smell anything.

But apparently, he must have fizzled slightly louder than was wise, for Slade turned his attention to him. "Hey! You're _naked_!" he cried. He covered his lone eye with his hands. "Ew! Let's find you some clothes to wear!"

Overload held up an electric arm in halfhearted protest, but Slade paid him no mind. He raced over to the tall dresser. Whipping open the doors, he revealed a rack of several frilly dresses. They were designed to be worn by five-year-old girls, but Slade had such a mad glint in his eye, Overload decided not to point out this bit of logic. The villain picked out a neon pink dress with yellow ruffles along the sleeves and hemline. Cinderblock had to suppress a laugh.

Neither Plasmus nor Cinderblock were able to figure out exactly what happened, but one moment, Slade was standing up straight with the hideous dress in his hands, and the next he was pouncing on Overload, wrestling him into the dress. Somehow, Slade managed to accomplish this task, and Overload was now clad in the pink dress.

"Oh, I am so excited!" cried Slade. "We are ready for the most fun sleepover ever! Let's pop in a chick flick and relax!" Slade zoomed over to the small television set situated in the room and grabbed a DVD box off the top, but froze before he could put the DVD disc into the correct slot. "Wait," he said, sounding disappointed. "We don't have popcorn. We can't have a movie night without popcorn!" He whirled around to face the three creatures behind him, each of them having been lamenting over the loss of their dignity. "I want you to go to the super market and steal every box of popcorn there," Slade commanded, his voice growing harsh. Cinderblock opened his mouth to try to convince Slade that since he was covered in glittery nail polish from head to toe, Plasmus smelled so strong he would knock out anyone within a ten foot radius, and Overload was crammed so tightly into the pink dress he could hardly move, they would hardly be an effective team, but Slade cut him off. "Go! Now!" he yelled, and his minions jumped to attention. They inwardly sighed. This was going to be a long night.

---

"Excuse me?" It was all Raven could think to say. She had been caught completely off guard, and was fumbling to regain her footing.

"Can I have this dance?" Beast Boy repeated.

Raven blinked at him. "Well, for one thing, it's 'may'. It's a request, not a question of ability."

The green Titan rolled his eyes. "OK, if you're gonna insult my grammar, you're _definitely_ dancing with me."

He grabbed Raven's hand, and before she could protest, he dragged her over to the dance floor. There were many other couples dancing, so they blended right in. Raven spotted Robin and Starfire swaying to the music together, but soon lost sight of them amongst the other dancers. Beast Boy took Raven's other hand and placed it on his shoulder. He then reached down to put his hand on her waist. "Beast Boy!" she hissed.

"What?"

"I don't want to do this!" she seethed quietly.

"But I do. Just consider this as something in return for me saving your life." Raven stared at him incredulously. "I must have at one point." Raven raised an eyebrow.

"I thought I was the one who saved you-"

"Oh, who keeps track? Just dance, Raven."

"Beast Boy, this is _really_ not my thing."

"So what? Just… try to enjoy it, just this once."

Raven wanted to say something more, but a stern look from her teammate told her she should just keep quiet. She looked off to the side, muttering, "I don't like dancing."

"You sound like a five-year-old."

Raven gave him an exasperated look. "I really don't think you're one to talk about maturity." To her surprise, Beast Boy only laughed, nodding. He didn't say anything more, so she let it slide. She allowed Beast Boy to take over. Her body fell into step with his. Despite the fact that this was the first time she'd ever danced with someone else (though she had obviously witnessed it before), she wasn't faring too badly. Her feet seemed to know instinctively how to avoid treading on Beast Boy's, and her body was swaying with the music alongside Beast Boy's. They were in tune with one another, taking just the right steps at just the right time, and they were doing all this without saying a word.

Finally, Raven broke the silence. "Why are you doing all this?"

"This? Because I made a bet with myself. I wanted to see if you knew how to dance-"

"I mean all of it. Since… since we met. Since then. Since ever. I don't know, just… why?"

Beast Boy mulled over that question for a few moments. Then he said cautiously, "I like hanging out with you."

"What?"

"You don't realize it, but you're actually a fun person to be around. Well, I guess 'fun' isn't the right word. You have this… this dry humor I could never come up with in a million years. Even though most of the time it's directed at me, it's still hilarious. And you're always so calm and in control. Sometimes people just need to see that to keep themselves grounded… to keep them from losing it." He let out a soft chuckle. "You've already dealt with so much in your life… it's pretty impressive you can keep it all together all the time. Being around you, it gives me a little hope… maybe I can survive this life if I let a little of you rub off on me."

Raven was stunned. She had never heard Beast Boy say anything like this to her before. He chuckled.

"You seem surprised."

"That wasn't something I'd really expect you to say. I didn't see it coming."

"And you, Raven, are totally predictable."

"We're completely different."

"Yeah, we are," Beast Boy agreed, and the two of them lapsed into silence as they allowed the music to sweep over their bodies and take control. They were unaware of the rest of the world at that moment. To them, the dance floor wasn't covered with other swaying couples; the air wasn't filled with the chatter of young and old alike; their teammates weren't staring at them suspiciously. All they took notice of was each other and the music. They were both thinking about the same thing, something that excited them and scared them at the same time: the sentiment that opposites attract. Was that true? Could two utterly different people really forge a bond of passion between them?

Could they?

"Would you have agreed to dance if someone else had asked you?" Beast Boy queried. He tried to shake away the thoughts that had crowded into his head. He wasn't going to think about Raven in any way other than platonic when she was standing right in front of him.

"Beast Boy?"

"I'm just wondering."

Raven frowned in thought. "I don't know. Like I said, dancing really isn't my thing. I'm only here right now because you said I owed you one." She rolled her eyes. "I'm not so sure I do, but whatever. I guess at some point, I will, and I might as well pay my dues now."

Beast Boy nodded, turning his gaze to their feet. Raven watched his face, but couldn't discern what he was thinking about. Finally, she had to say something.

"You… weren't just wondering, were you?"

Beast Boy didn't meet her eye.

"Well?"

"I don't know, Raven. I guess I get kinda… jealous."

"Jealous?" she choked out.

"Yeah."

"Of what?" she queried.

"I… don't know how to put it in words. Well, I guess I _do_, but I don't know if it'll make much sense. Well, I guess it'll make sense, but I don't know… well," he said, smiling sheepishly at the face Raven was making at him. "I get jealous of seeing you open up to other people. I mean, I try so… well… it just makes me wonder what they're doing that I'm not. You know, like, why were they able to get you to share and I wasn't?"

"Like who?" Raven almost whispered.

Beast Boy frowned and avoided her gaze. But he felt his cheeks flush under her scrutinizing look, and he finally muttered, "Well, there was that guy at the poetry shop-"

"Him?" interrupted the dark Titan with a hint of surprise in her voice. When Beast Boy didn't answer, she assumed it meant 'yes'. "Beast Boy, I talked to him _once_. We had a lot in common… or so I thought," she lapsed into silence, allowing Beast Boy to mull her statement over. "I can assure you," she continued, in a small voice, "if I was going to open up to anyone, it would be someone on our team, not some random person I met once. You guys are my family and friends, all wrapped in one. No one could ever come between that." Immediately, she quieted down. "I can't believe I just said that."

"Huh?" Beast Boy prompted, confused.

"Look what you made me do," continued Raven quietly. "_That_ was just me opening up, right there. I didn't even realize it before it was too late."

Beast Boy grinned. "I won't tell anyone."

"You better not."

They fell silent again. Raven felt the hand on her waist slide an inch to the left. She was suddenly very aware of herself. Feeling her body slightly pressed against Beast Boy's, she realized with a jolt that she was a girl and he was a boy. Obviously, she had always known this, but the fact now struck her across the face. The hand on her waist and the hand clasping hers were large and warm, just like an adult man's. Right now, the two Titans were the same height, but Raven knew in the not-too-distant future, the green prankster would grow taller than her. She knew that when they embraced, their bodies would fit perfectly next to each other's. It was poetic to her, but it frightened her at the same time. She had always considered herself separate from other people her age because she knew she could never express her emotions. But she had never even thought about the fact that, despite her lack of outward feelings, she still _was_ a teenager. And it nearly knocked her over as she recognized that she was a young woman, Beast Boy was a young man, and they were dancing closely together.

"Raven?" The dark Titan turned to look at her companion.

"Yeah?"

Beast Boy held her gaze. "Are you enjoying this?"

Raven didn't answer right away, so Beast Boy plowed on ahead.

"Look, like you said, dancing isn't your thing. I mean, I wanted to dance with you so we could, you know, hang out, but I wanna know that you're enjoying yourself too. I'd feel bad if this was like a chore to you… hanging out with me, I mean. I know it's not your fault, but you never seem to have a lot of fun, and I know I get on your case about it, but it just frustrates me… seeing you unable to laugh or have fun. I guess I give you a hard time 'cause I know if you _did_ allow yourself to have fun, which you can't, but if you did, you'd really find yourself… I don't know, someone… well… anyway, I just wanted to know, even if you can't really show it, if you were enjoying yourself… 'cause I, you know, want to help you live life to the fullest." He finished, his eyes wide with surprise at his own daring. Raven was shocked. He had yelled at her before about really "living" life, but now he was admitting that he was trying to help her? She felt so overwhelmed. She opened her mouth to speak-

"Can I cut in?"

The two Titans jumped. They turned to see Cyborg smirking at them.

"Am I interrupting?"

"No!" Beast Boy said a little too quickly. He grinned sloppily. "I just finally convinced Raven to dance."

"I can see that," Cyborg said good-naturedly. "So can I cut in?"

"Sure," Raven said simply. She disentangled herself from the green Titan, stepping back. She didn't meet his eye, and thus missed the slightly disappointed look shining in it. Cyborg held out his hand, and Raven took it. Once again, she allowed herself to be swept into closer proximity with her partner so that they could dance more easily. Beast Boy melted into the crowd, mumbling something about getting something to eat.

Cyborg chuckled. "Are you sure you guys weren't in the middle of something?"

"Yes," stated Raven firmly. "And just to let you know, it's '_may_ I cut in,' not '_can_'."

-----

Author's Notes: Well, if it's any consolation for me taking so long, this is my longest chapter to date. I hope you all enjoyed it!

OK, before I forget: the ship is named after the raft/Gummi ship from Kingdom Hearts in honor of the fact that the next game comes out in March, which I am _slightly_ excited about. _cough_OMGSOPUMPEDXD_cough_

Also, about the creatures… a little bit darker, I think, than anything else in this story as of yet. To get a better picture of what I had in mind, combine the Gargoyles from Kingdom Hearts (I'm not obsessed, I promise) and Vilemon from Digimon ( from Season 1, maybe in Season 3? I can't remember if they showed them there or not). So if you're _that_ interested in seeing what I was thinking, put those two in a blender, and presto!

Oh, and if you can tell where I got the names of the married couple seen in this chapter, you win… something. Perhaps a dedication in the next chapter?

OOH! Something so cool! I was in TJMaxx a while ago, just looking around and shopping, when I spotted this little pink shirt with embroidered letters spelling out "True Love". It was this skimpy shirt I'd never have bought, but I BEGGED my mom to buy it for me, so she did. Now I even have a shirt to advertise my story with!

OK, well, now I know why didn't want anymore review replies in chapters. They have this cool new thing where you can reply to each individual one! Sweet! But, um, since this took me so long, I have some reviews that were too early and didn't get set up on that system… my bad. So I've searched through them to see if there are any general questions I could answer. _shuffles papers except that the reviews are online, but we're playing pretend_ Here's one! Where did I come up with my screen name? Well, actually, I can't really take credit for it entirely. As I've said before, I share this account with a friend of mine. Long ago, I said to him we should make the name something to do with wolves since we both love them, and he said, "Hey, how about 'Twin-Lupus'?" Thus Twin-Lupus was born. And, as WoofBlackHayate asked, no, I don't have a deviantart account, but I wish I did! I draw here and there, but I have no scanner to upload anything. I'm trying to break my parents' printer so they're forced to get a new one with a scanner. I mean, I didn't say that…

Well, that's about it. A HUGE thanks to all those who reviewed before! I really appreciate that you took the time to review, and I apologize again for not updating in forever. To all those who submitted reviews after the new system was set in place, you can expect an answer back from me within a few days. I have midterms this week, so we'll see what happens…

Anyway, just a quick shout-out to UnOrthodox: I don't know if it's too late now, but I'm going to try to write a piece to go with that picture! Look for it soon!

Wow, this closing note is becoming very long. I'll let you all get back to your daily lives. Remember, **_NO SPOILERS_**. Please. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I promise the next one won't take anywhere near as long, and please review!


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